Opinion | I Need Feminism

Feminism, in its most simple definition, is believing in the equality of all genders. Unfortunately, due to radical supporters who have tainted the name, feminists are seen as men-hating sociopaths. Many young women and most men, regardless of age, are afraid to label themselves as a feminist because of the stigma around the title.

Of course there are the obvious battles in the feminist community, such as equal wages for women, healthcare rights and media representations of how a woman “should be.” Those issues are focused on daily, and thankfully there are steps being taken to change inequalities in those fields. What needs more focus, however, are the everyday battles. The women who are afraid to walk home at night and have pepper spray on hand, just in case, need feminism. Any and all victims of sexual assault, regardless of gender, need feminism. The people stuck in abusive relationships because they are afraid of what other people will think of them need feminism.

I need feminism because it is difficult to walk down the street in shorts or a crop-top without having cars honk at me. I need feminism because when I was fourteen, my high school principal banned one of my poms uniforms, a sports tank top, because my breasts were too prominent in it when I was laying down on my stomach. I need feminism because I cannot politely turn down a guy without being called a bitch. I need feminism because I listened to a group of my friends say a girl we knew was “probably asking for it” after she was raped on the way home from a party.

Being a feminist, standing up for the equal gender rights of everyone, and believing in equality for all should not be taboo; it should be celebrated, if anything. It is time for the world to realize that misogyny and misandry is entirely unnecessary. It is time to stand up for everyone.