Feminism. How does such a simple word stir up conflict and emotions? Or better yet, feminist.
Now that’s a word that will start wars in the comment sections on Facebook. Why is that? What is the problem with a woman declaring herself as a feminist? Oh, right, it’s because people believe that every feminist is an angry man-hater that wants women to take over the world. Believe it or not, this assumption is entirely false. Men are just as important as women are, so if there are “Femi-Nazi’s” who think women are superior, they’re wrong as well. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines feminism as “the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.” It’s THAT simple everyone. A real feminist can be a man or woman; they hold the same belief for equality. What could ever be wrong with that?
So here’s a list of seven things feminists, including myself, want:
- Equal pay, like it or not this is still a huge problem in our society. A woman earns 78 cents for every dollar a man makes for the same amount of work. More women to be present in our government, I’m not saying to vote Hillary Rodham Clinton for president because she’s a woman, that would be stupid. But we should give candidates in all levels of government equal thought regardless of their gender.
- To stop victim blaming in cases of rape. Girls are not taken seriously “dressed like a slut.” Guys who were raped are usually put down, what guy wouldn’t want sex? How could a girl rape you? It can happen, men AND women can be victims of sexual assault or harassment.
- For less gender-specific products; oh no, these ear plugs aren’t pink, HOW WILL I SURVIVE?
- No more pushing women or men to fill typical family roles. You’re a woman and you want a career while your husband is a stay-at-home dad? Awesome! You want to be a stay-at-home mom while your husband works? Fabulous! You both want to work? Cool! Neither of you want children? Great! What matters is what makes YOU and your S.O. happy. Screw what anyone else has to say.
- That a woman can have control over her own body. I’m sorry, but old men in Congress shouldn’t be allowed to regulate birth control and abortions.
- For people to stop using gender discriminatory terms such as “throw like a girl” or “grow some balls.” Guess what? Women are strong; they’re capable of playing sports and working hard. Men are allowed to be sensitive; they feel the same emotions girls do. The difference is they’re taught not to show them because they’re taught it’s a sign of being ‘weak.’ I don’t care if you’re a boy or girl, if you feel sad, feel free to cry your heart out; it’s therapeutic.
- For these problems to be taken seriously. People love to claim that we’re all just acting like babies crying for attention and everything is fine. We’ve made amazing technological advancements over the years, but as a society, our treatment of others is moving at a slow pace.
Anyone can throw a ball, anyone can love the color pink, anyone can hold an office, and anyone can feel pain. It’s time we stop letting our genitals separate us as people. Yes, girls have babies and estrogen while guys have sperm and testosterone, should that really dictate the way our lives are lived?
Let’s erase the stigma and learn to treat each other equally.