“Feminism” is a word that has appeared more and more throughout the years. People interpret it in so many different ways, and quite frequently, wrongly.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “Feminism is the belief in and advocacy of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes.” While this is the standard definition, it can be defined in other ways.
“I think it is about freedom and not judging other women. I feel like people think feminism is about being independent and not being a housewife, but rather it is the ability to do what you want with your life without judgment,” sophomore Maria Pesce said.
“Feminism is fighting for women’s rights to be seen as equal compared to men,” sophomore Ainsley Kniker said.
These are only a few of the ways that feminism can be viewed. Unfortunately, the idea of feminism is misconstrued by people often.
The International Association of Students in Economic and Commerce is “a community of young people passionately driven by one cause: peace and fulfillment of humankind’s potential.”
According to the AIESEC, “Recently the statement ‘I am a feminist’ has become synonymous to the statement ‘I hate men.’ The mere idea of feminism is being misconstrued as the idea of hating men. It’s become a widely spread belief that feminism represents the idea of switching the power structure, so that men are on the bottom and women are on the top; however, this is a common misconception.”
Feminism is not the fight to put women on top, but rather to put them as equals with their male counterparts. It is not founded on the idea that women will one day be on top, rather that they have the opportunities to advance greatly, opportunities that many males are already given.
One should make sure that the truth of what feminism actually is is known. Feminism is not about women over men, rather equality for both men and women.
If someone brings up something untrue about feminism, one should make sure the truth is known. Feminism is an important part in the fight for equality and should be respected and valued.
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