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Why Modern Day Feminism Matters To Everyone

There’s no doubt that there is a new wave of feminism flooding in. With celebrities and influencers like Beyonce and Sheryl Sandberg standing up as proud feminists and incidents calling us to raise our female voice, the definition of feminist is definitely shifting. Being a feminist doesn’t mean you’re on the extreme end of the spectrum of being a bra-burning man-hater. As Kate Nash puts it, “Feminism is not a dirty word. It does not mean you hate men, it does not mean you hate girls that have nice legs and a tan, and it does not mean you are a ‘bitch’ or a ‘dyke’; it means you believe in equality.??

Not only is feminism about equality, but it’s also about the balance that allows women to embrace their feminine qualities and be fierce, independent and equal to men – and I’m all for that.

I’ve never been ashamed of being a feminist, but when stars like Shailene Woodley explain why they’re not for reasons that reveal how misinformed they might be about feminism, I question how misinformed people can be by what being a feminist actually means. It’s an issue to me that there are girls out there who might feel as though they must be one way or another. Believing in equality for women does not mean you hate men and it does not mean that you’re some sort of outlandish vigilante. As a soft-spoken and quiet woman myself, people are always surprised or taken aback anytime I speak confidently about a particular feminist topic that I may feel passionate about. Sometimes people no longer see the soft and “girly?? persona they thought I had. All of a sudden, having a strong yet respectful opinion has made me feel self-conscious about the way others may view me. It occurred to me that some men believe women are reacting overly sensitive and defensive for calling them out on stereotyping women as “hardcore feminists.?? These reactions reveal how categorized women are, as though woman can’t be both delicate and self-assertive or ambitious about her career while also a loving and supportive wife.

A woman should be opinionated without being called overly aggressive and raising women to power certainly does not, as Shailene Woodley put it, “take the men away from the power.?? A modern day feminist is about integrating a marginalized group into a society’s standard of power and rights – it’s certainly not about creating an exclusive group where women denigrate men. It’s about raising the standards of power for women on par with what the world deems unachievable for women.

Whether you’re a male, female, wife, single, or father, feminism applies to everyone. It exists in the way women and men interact, the way society’s view mold people’s view of the sexes and the way we raise our families. Hopefully one day, both men and women will stand up as proud feminists. Young girls should always grow up without societal pressures of what a girl or woman should or shouldn’t be. Hopefully this new wave of feminism will allow the next generation of girls to grow freely.