" 1. the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes

2. organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests"

Feminism. Believing that men and women should have equal rights in political, economical and social standings. A movement that has been going on for years before us and will go on years after. There are many stereotypes for feminist, as in a crazy man hater. But this is merely something we have created due to hate. This shouldn't be what defines someone who calls themselves a feminist because that can be misleading. I recently received criticism that "feminism has damaged the world", but how can a movement heading towards equality really do that?

Many of you may be feminist but don't even know it.

Nowadays feminism leaves a bad taste in your mouth. It wasn't built on hate, or because women believe that they deserve special right. It was simply created because they know they deserve equal rights. It was created to empower women and men to strive for gender equality when there was none.

Clearly, seeking quality one would not think that this movement is ruining the world, but that is what is being said. However, movements may often be misinterpreted and will be defined by the extreme elements, which makes it more difficult for those who don't truly understand the core beliefs. Fundamentally, there are two problems. The main problem of those is the people who don't educate themselves, or who won't even try to educate themselves, and the other problem are the extremists who blur the message of those less informed. With every movement there will be followers that take their actions to the extreme. But just because a few may take it too far doesn’t mean that’s what that group is as a whole. If you look at religion you will see the good and the bad, the terrorist attacks for a belief, hateful messages toward one another in the name of getting their point across, and even war. But these things do not define the true meaning. You can’t look at one person and only see them for their wrong doings, so why look at this movement for a few who have taken it too far?

Feminism has been about equality for the genders. It’s not saying you can’t be a stay at home mom, and have to work in what has been considered a man’s world. It’s the freedom to do as you please and not be shamed for it. To vote, to have a say in the workplace, and government. To do as they please and have the same rights. For example, the gender pay gap. PayScale, a leading compensation analyst company, reports as of 2016 women are making 76 cents to every dollar a man makes. This means women are earning 23.7% less than what a man makes. A woman can have the same exact job in the same company and will still make less than her male colleagues. This is something worth fighting for. But it’s not only that. Women have fought for the right to vote, and without that fight without the Seneca Falls Convention, women may not have had the luxury to vote today and the suffragette would have never started.

From my own personal experience of watching my step-father and mother working in the same field, the difference between how each were treated was obvious. When business trips happen, the trip is centered around what men want to do like golfing. And let’s say a woman goes on one of these trips but doesn’t golf, then in a sense she is cast out because she won’t be able to “bond” with everyone else while golfing. Other than the trips, it’s hard enough as it is just getting into that world and being accepted as a woman. Let’s say you have one man and one woman, both have the same outgoing personality but the man can waltz into his job, become friends with everyone and be totally okay. While the woman finds her job more difficult because some men may judge her for her clothing or maybe there’s one other woman in that field with her and she looks at the other as competition. Which will make the job all that more stressful.

There aren’t many women in the financial business, engineering world, becoming CEO’s, working with the FBI or any government official job. Not saying that these are the jobs that women have to be in but, these are jobs women are the minority, while they are the majority in the US. It’s not always about women not applying themselves but more as in people don’t like change, and things are changing fast, or are too fast for comfort. Nevertheless, this is a change we need within’ this country and this world.

Feminism isn’t a movement trying to tell women what to do in this world, it’s giving them the freedom to choose how they want to dress, act, or work all unapologetically. It’s not saying you need this or you need that, or that men are pigs and we’re their victims . It’s about being treated the same as them, and having the right to have a say.

When it is said that we don’t need feminism, or that it has ruined the world, we are agreeing with the statement that men and women don’t need equal rights. Which means that the gender pay gap, and the social injustices are all okay. We have brushed over the real reason why feminism is around and painted a false image of what we believe feminism has become.

So, why do we need feminism? The answer lies within’ that very question, for it is similar to questioning the need for gender equality itself. The answer to that, why not?

Joseph Gordon-Levitt once said, “I’m a believer that if everyone has a fair chance to be what they want to be and do what they want to do, it’s better for everyone. It benefits society as a whole.”