Feminism is defined as a range of movements and ideologies that share a common goal: to define, establish, and achieve equal political, economic, cultural, personal, and social rights for women. And thanks to social media, it seems like this movement has been having a bit of a resurgence. There are also plenty of celebrities who have voiced their support for it--men and women alike who are now referring to themselves as feminists.
But when people think of feminism, they often think of man hating and burning bras. For that reason, I have heard many girls my age say that they would never refer to themselves as a feminist because they don't want to scare men away. There are also a few women celebrities who have stated they are not feminists because there are negative connotations that come along with it and people would assume they hate men. But if you read the definition of the word there is nothing about seeing women as better than men, it's just about making sure both genders are equal and bridging the gap that has existed since the beginning of time.
There is still a massive wage gap between the sexes which most people would agree is not fair for two people doing the exact job. And advocating for that is nothing to be ashamed of. That is why I think it is important to remove the stigma of the word. There is nothing wrong with a desire to be considered equal to your peers, especially in the workforce.
The important thing to realize is the true meaning of feminism and how it isn't a crazy, ridiculous concept. There is nothing to be ashamed of in believing that women deserve their rights and the ability to stand up for them, especially if you yourself are a woman.
If more celebrities, male and female, were to voice their support for their movement it would help remove some of the stigmas against the word. And then young women would also be more willing to adopt the word and to promote equality and stand up for their rights. It is especially important for young women to support this because they truly do have the power to make a change.
What I want people to get out of this article is mainly the understanding of the true definition of feminism. I think if people realize that it's simply about equality then more people would be willing to get behind the concept and that would be for the betterment of society of a whole. It's important for people to stop saying "Feminism is too harsh of a word" because it just contributes to the idea that women are less than men and should not be voicing their opinions, and this is a cycle that needs to end.
