The World Needs Feminism

By Alyssa Tompkins

There are many who believe feminism to be outdated and unneeded, but this is the furthest thing from the truth. According to Merriam Webster, the definition of a feminist is someone who believes all humans, male or female and everything in between, should have the same political, social, and economical rights. To me, this is not a crazy idea. What possible reasons can be presented that would make poor treatment of people due to their sex justifiable? Of course this is a rhetorical question; there is no answer in the world that can justify mistreatment of anyone based on their sex. Nothing can change my mind on that, nothing.

Now, anyone who claims feminism is outdated or unneeded does not know all of the facts. I hate that this still needs to be said, but feminists are not angry, man-hating lesbians, nor were they ever. Feminists are simply people living their lives believing that they are equal to all other sexes and not any less of a person because of their genitalia or mindset. Furthermore, feminists understand that men face problems too and they are not looking to undercut them. Digging deeper, feminism takes the stance that women are responsible for their actions, such as women should serve prison time equal to their crime and not any less.

In hindsight, many view feminism in the past to have been more necessary. The suffragettes fighting for the right to vote, women breaking into professions other than the stereotypical secretary position, and so much more. Feminism was huge while women were fighting for their basic rights that were dropped on men’s laps at birth. Just because these rights are now guaranteed to women doesn’t change the fact that feminism is still needed.

Feminism is still a modern day battle for many reasons, and anyone who will tell you otherwise is only able to say so due to the fact that they are not dragged down by the prejudice that still exists. According to the Huffington Post, “Why We Still Need Feminism”, there is still a 23 cents pay gap between men and women. This pay gap makes no sense because it does nothing but encourage a patriarchal system in which those who get paid more feel superior. Furthermore, women only hold 20 percent of seats in Congress even though females make up more than half of the population of the United States.

The world needs feminism because when a woman gets assaulted she feels shame and people often look down upon her instead of condemning perpetrator. The world needs feminism because when a man and women get married, the woman is expected to take on the male’s last name and leave her lineage at the altar with her maiden name. The world needs feminism because women are taught how to prevent rape instead of teaching everyone that rape is wrong. The world needs feminism because women's bodies are still being legislated by people who may not even have the same anatomy or understanding of women’s bodies. The world needs feminism because the act of killing children can be attributed to millions of fewer females than males in the Middle East. The world needs feminism because in Afghanistan, it is legal to disfigure a woman for attending college classes.

The fight for equality is not over just because women can vote, drive, and work. Feminism fights to ensure that everyone is viewed as equal and that no prejudice is seen against anyone. The world needs feminism because the world is still a scary place for everyone, and if people of all sexes can feel more secure in their lives, that horror level can be lowered.