To the woman reading this,

Let me start of by saying this: I do not identify as a feminist but I do believe in women, and contrary to popular belief, I can believe both.

I believe in the woman. I believe she is strong, powerful, independent. I believe she can do whatever a man can. I believe she is worthy of everything a man is. I believe she is beautiful, for not only her looks and her heart, but for her brain as well. I believe she has a lot to offer the world and that the world needs her.

I also believe in the man. I believe he is strong, powerful, independent. I believe he can do whatever a woman can. I believe he is worthy of everything a woman is. I believe he is beautiful, not only for his looks and his heart, but for his brain as well. I believe he has a lot to offer the world and that the world needs him.

And contrary to popular belief, I can believe both.

My problem with modern day, third-wave feminism, is that it seems to forget the latter. They seem to wish for women empowerment at the expense of men. They seem to want to take away and restrict a man's freedom in order to expand their own. I believe we can have both. I believe we live in a world where men and women can be seen as different but still equally valid and just.

I believe that both man and woman face gender related struggles, bias, and stereotype; not oppression. And I do believe that these are wrong and unfair; however, I believe ignoring one genders' to make yours seem worse is wrong.

In today's society, a woman is expected to be skinny and externally beautiful and any woman who doesn't fit into this mold is looked down upon, fat shamed, and ridiculed by other women and men. This is wrong. In today's society, a man is expected to be muscular and externally physical and any man who doesn't fit into this mold is looked down upon, thought of as less manly, and ridiculed by other men and women. This is equally wrong.

In today's society, a woman is expected to stay at home and raise the children of a family and any woman who chooses a career before her family is considered a bad mom and "needs to learn her place." This is wrong. In today's society, a man is expected to be the breadwinner and work a 9-5 to provide for his family and any man who chooses to be a stay at home dad is considered weak and letting his family down. This is equally wrong.

I believe in the women who came before me. I believe in their struggle against their oppression and their fight for equally. And I am proud. I am proud to be a woman and I am thankful to them for fighting for the opportunities I have today. I believe we still face struggles, as do males, and we still have stereotypes, as do males.But get this straight, we are not oppressed in today's world. We are not governed in an unfair and cruel way and prevented from having opportunities and freedom.

Coming out of a election where a woman was a major party candidate and almost became President of the United States of America, I think it is a bit of a stretch to say we don't have the same opportunities as men. The most important job in the country was open to a woman so I'm not sure how much more of an opportunity there could be for us.

Today, we can do whatever a man can. We have the freedom to do whatever a man can if that's what we choose to do. My advice to you: stop comparing yourself to men and trying to tear them down, and get out into the real world and seize all the opportunities that are available to you. You'll be surprised what the world can give to you and what you can give to the world if you would only stop making excuses for yourself.

Sincerely,

A strong woman who believes in herself