With the uprising of feminist movements in the United States, many people are opposing, saying that feminists think women are superior to men and that women in the US are already equal compared to other countries in the world. However, the goal of feminism is to create inequality between genders, and to empower men as well as women. While women have far more rights in the United States than in many other countries, we still need feminism. Here's why.
1. Wage Gaps
The diagram says it all. If women in the United States are doing equal work, then why don't we get equal pay?
2. Brock Turner
Brock Turner served three months in jail for raping an unconscious woman. He served only half of the six months that he was sentenced to, and was praised as a star athlete rather than what he really is: a rapist.
3. Victim Blaming/Shaming
The reason that so many rapists get away with their crimes and even more never get reported is that we live in a society that would rather blame the victim and tell them they shouldn't have drank or shouldn't have dressed the way they did than hold somebody accountable for their actions.
4. Taking Precautions
We live in a world where women can't leave their home alone at night and must watch their drink whenever they go out to avoid being assaulted or drugged. Instead of teaching people not to do these things, women are taught these precautions from a young age as they are most likely to be the victims of such crimes.
5. Unrealistic Expectations
From the time that they are children, girls are presented with unrealistic expectations of what a woman should look like in terms of clothing, body type, and facial features. We praise supermodels, celebrities, and women who only look the way they do thanks to extensive plastic surgeries and lack of food.
6. Sexual Assault and Harassment in the Workplace
Sexual violence and harassment are all too common in the workplace. It is oftentimes used as a method of intimidation for both male and female workers. An estimated 8% of reported rapes take place in places of employment.
7. Domestic Violence and Abuse
In the US, approximately 20 people per minute experience violence from a romantic partner. 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men say they have experienced physical violence from their partner at some point in their relationship. Domestic abuse is not limited to just physical abuse: it can also include verbal, psychological, emotional, and sexual abuse.
8. Transgender Issues
Besides the fact that they are being shunned from using the bathrooms of the gender of which they identify with, transgender women are at a higher risk for sexual assault, violence, discrimination, and even murder.
When you see a group of people rallying for women's rights, they are not ignoring the amazing rights we have been given in the United States. They are fighting for equality that we have yet to reach, and they are giving voices to those who cannot speak out. Join in and become part of a movement.
