The belief that women and men ought to have equal rights and opportunities should not be associated with extreme hate and controversy; however, it is. Too many women have been victims of violence and abuse solely because they believe in gender equality. That must stop now.
As a society, we need to become more comfortable with the term “feminism” and being a “feminist”. Although those words sound similar to the word “female”, being a feminist does not strictly apply to those of the female gender. There is no shame in being a feminist and the feminists that stand out the most, are the ones who embrace it the most.
So, let’s get some things straight:
The feminist movement is not trying to become “superior” to men. Feminism is too often thought of this immoral and radical idea when in reality, feminists simply believe in equal opportunity and equal rights on the basis of gender.
Many believe the feminist movement, as well as the Me Too movement, have gone too far, which is completely false. What has gone too far is the President of the United States openly stating that this is a “scary time” to be a young man due to the abundance of feminist movements that are currently active. Words cannot describe the bravery and courage that these protesters display as they are marching for equal rights, equal opportunity, and sexual assault awareness.
Personally, I believe Donald Trump meant to say “being a female can be scary” only because in the United States 1 in 5 women are raped in their lifetime and 1 in 71 men are raped in their lifetime. Those statistics, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, are disgusting and the only way our message regarding gender inequality and sexual assault will be heard is if individuals continue to protest.
Countless women and men do not believe in feminism and they also feel that protesting is not the answer. It is important to remember that, specifically gender inequality, is still alive and well so those who think “we are already equal” are unfortunately misinformed. Several government officials, including Donald Trump, do not care to listen to the voice of the feminist movement which is why protesting is an efficient way to call attention to this significant issue… and protesting does work because even those who disagree with the movement are spending their time thinking and talking about it… which again, only helps spread awareness.
Society needs to stop associating feminism with violent protests along with the notion that females are trying to become “superior”. In order to spark change, you need to be the change; so, never feel embarrassed or uncomfortable embracing your love and appreciation for feminism.
Comments