5 years ago, if someone had asked me how I felt about feminism, I would have told them with much certainty that in today’s society, at least in first-world countries, feminism is absolutely irrelevant. Unfortunately, at fourteen years-old, I was very misinformed on the benefits of feminism in even the most developed societies. Back then, I thought the whole point of feminism was to burn bras, stop shaving your armpits, complain about men and encourage abortions. Abortions are wrong, right? No, they’re not. I just knew that self-proclaimed female feminists were wasting their time complaining about not feeling as though they’re equal to men in our society. I mean, as a black, underprivileged woman, if I feel like my place in society is equal to that of a man, then everyone does, right? Once again, I was wrong.

Like many young and inexperienced individuals tend to be, I was incredibly misinformed of what feminism actually is and why we should never stop fighting for it. Feminism isn’t about encouraging women to have abortions, but rather giving them the option to choose whether or not they want to enter motherhood. Sexual freedom should not come at the expense of motherhood. Many individuals who call themselves pro-life like to respond to this with the idea of adoption, but what they fail to comprehend is that while female bodies are physiologically made to bear children, pregnancy changes the body in ways in which many women aren’t prepared for and shouldn’t be forced to go through. Not to mention, the women whose pregnancies threaten their own health and safety. They should not be made to feel guilty for choosing to take their lives into their own hands. We have to end the stigma surrounding reproductive rights and women’s sexual health. Girls deserve to go on birth control as teenagers without assumptions about their sex lives and the questioning of their character. Girls deserve to have as much sex as they want, with whomever they want, without being degraded and having their morals questioned. We need places like the local health clinics and Planned Parenthood to stick around so that women can continue getting the education that they need for their bodies and the services that they need to keep them healthy at low cost.

Equally as important, I need feminism because I don’t deserve to be treated as any less than any other human being despite my gender, skin color, political affiliation, religious beliefs or anything else that makes me who I am as a person. I don’t deserve to make any more than a Latina woman with the same credentials and position that I have and I certainly don’t deserve to make any less than a white male with the same credentials and position that I hold. This is what feminism is about. I choose to pursue an education and career in the STEM field because while society may tell me that that is not my role as a black woman, feminism tells me that my role as a black woman in society is whatever I choose for it to be. I need feminism because society does not get to decide whether or not I shave my body hair. I need feminism because society does not get to decide whether or not I will take my husband’s last name when I get married someday. Like all other women, I need feminism because I deserve choices and I deserve to not be shamed or criticized for those choices.

At 19 years old, with a greater understanding of the complexity and intersectionality of feminism, I am proud to call myself a feminist.