Why We Need Feminism

"You look great!” “Don’t worry about it!" These phrases are commonly thrown around in day to day discussion, but what is their intention? How many times have you felt insecure and just wanted to throw on your largest hoodie and biggest sweatpants, just because you don’t believe what people say about your body? How many times have you heard a woman (yourself included) be told not to do something because they are “not strong enough” or because they "just won’t get it?" Well, it turns out that these women aren’t alone. Many women across the world experience this every single day.

Why do we live in a society that always places women underneath men? Though we have made strides towards improving gender equality, it has yet to be totally fixed. Feminism must be promoted and supported by all, as not only does feminism support the rights of women, but it also supports the rights of all genders. By supporting feminism, one is supporting rights for all genders.

We need to normalize feminism; in other words, normalize that all people should be treated equally no matter their gender. While feminism promotes equity, it doesn’t promote true equality. It respects that all people are unique, and that their gender is only a part of their holistic identity.

Early feminist and esteemed writer Maya Angelou remarks that “Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women”. We must stand up for ourselves and our rights as people, regardless of our gender. We must stand up for those who fall victim to gender stereotypes and are held back from fulfilling their dreams because of their gender identity. We must stand up for women that take risks to fulfill their goals and change their gender’s stereotypes. We must stand up for all, and prove to the world that everyone should be equal. We must celebrate each and every person for who they are, and separate this from their gender stereotypes.