Equal rights is something that America has been striving to achieve for years, but we still are long ways away from obtaining equality. In the recent months, women are not letting this issue be forgotten. From social media to the red carpets, women are taking a stand to show how we are more than just pretty faces.
This year at the Oscars, Patricia Arquette gave a speech on equal wages for women in America. She went on to say how this nation has fought for others’ equal rights, but now it is time for women to have their equality once and for all. Arquette’s speech even moved the other actresses who were nominated for the Oscar, as they stood up cheering for what she was supporting. Not only were people inspired at the Oscars, but social media also blew up with more support.
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Another actress that was not afraid to voice her opinion was Reese Witherspoon. She wants reporters on the red carpet to ask her more than who she is wearing. Witherspoon thinks that women should be asked about their career and ambitions the same way that men are asked about these things. The #AskHerMore was the hashtag that was streaming on twitter that night as well.
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These women are taking a stand against society’s problems today. Feminism is not something that is a joke, and it is not about hating men. It is about equality for all. There are different types of feminist who are interested in different movements. Some movements are about equal wages, while others are about paid maternity leave. Then there are movements that defend women’s bodies.
Real women are starting movements as serious as the Free the Nipple Movement, which rejects censoring women’s bodies just because they are different than a man’s body. It is a movement meant to empower women instead of objectify them.
No matter if you are interested in freeing your body, having the same salary as men, or being taken seriously outside of your closet, feminism is something that everyone should be a part of. This country has a long way to go until equality is reached, but by raising awareness on social media outlets, it will educate others, which is a step in the right direction.