Opinion: Feminism is about equality, understanding

Opinion%3A+Feminism+is+about+equality%2C+understanding

Hannah Miller, Editor-in-Chief

Some people idolize them, some people despise them and some people are them. They are feminists, a group of the most controversial characters of today’s society. Too many people interpret the notion of feminism with only recriminations in mind. In fact, 37% of the population says the word “feminist” has a negative connotation. Unfortunately, feminism is often times regarded incorrectly. Rather than female superiority, feminists merely fight for the empowerment of women to hold the same rights and authority men currently have (in certain aspects), to the point where all genders are seen as equal. Everyone should be a feminist because it’s not women wanting to be better than men, it’s humans wanting to be equal to each other.

Misconceptions about feminism are the basis for all controversy on the topic. Instead of being associated with superiority, we should be focusing on equality. In a recent survey, only sixteen percent of people considered themselves to be feminists, until they heard the real definition as “advocacy for equality across all genders”, causing the number to spike to over fifty percent. Issues of equality have been around for centuries, whether it be between race, gender, or sexuality. Feminism needs to take on a new connotation and enable humans of any gender to be capable of anything they choose, without the lowball expectations of society.

Feminists aren’t implying that all men are dominant figures to be left in the dust. Feminism benefits all genders by hoping to discard the discriminating gender role. Why do many people automatically assume the woman would be the one at home cooking dinner and changing over the laundry while the man is out doing whatever else? It’s understood that men aren’t all at fault and there are misconceptions about them as well. What’s not understood is that feminists hope to fix that issue through the promotion of egalitarianism.

Never underestimate someone, especially a female. Most feminists get their passion due to the fact that women are underestimated more often than men. Why? Because people feel as if they are less capable. While that can be true, we must not forget that gender stereotypes are purely a figurative concept. Don’t forget that a male can be bad at sports, and instead be into drama, whether that be theatrical involvement or gossip. Remember that a girl can have short hair and a bigger build, as well as despise makeup and prefer video games. Think about people who don’t specify as one specific gender. Consider a world where nobody looks twice at any of the prior scenarios, because they’re all accepted as cultural norms, and all genders are seen as equal. That’s the world feminists want to live in, which doesn’t seem unnecessary to me. Everyone should be a feminist because it leads to a more utopian society where everyone is equal. If you consider equality being an important part of life, you should consider yourself a feminist.