Feminism: the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men. It is a movement, which for a horrible reason has developed a negative connotation. The word feminist has been pegged as dirty, or shameful, and is increasingly spoken in hushed tones.

Girls are told by older generations, especially the males of those that feminism is pointless, and feminists are man haters, along with other slews of insults revolving around the movement. This is often done by men, girls fathers tell them that there is no point in feminism, that women are already equal, which is the furthest thing from the truth. This is a tactic of oppression, which all leads back to the strong necessity for feminism in society. It has come to a point where men are so convinced that feminism is a negative, radical movement that they have managed to convince some women of the same thing.

The fact of the matter is, feminism is very important in modern society, especially in a nation that is so obsessed with their natural born rights. Though women earned the right to vote in 1920, they are far from equal, legally and societally, starting from the fact that women are still paid 77 cents to every man’s dollar; and the decision whether or not birth control and abortions should be legal are put into the hands of men.

Recent statistics show that one in six American women will be victims of attempted rape or completed rape in their lifetime, and girls ages 16-19 are four times more likely to be victims of these crimes. Most rape cases are not reported to the police, and those that are, 98% of rapists never spend a day in jail (Sarsonline.org). Many women are told this assault is their fault because of the way they were dressed, how much alcohol they had consumed or that they so much as lead their rapists on.

Women are told to carry pepper spray, give out fake numbers, and never travel alone because their chances of being raped are so high that these are their best ideas of defense mechanisms. Maybe instead of teaching women that they have to be so careful not to get sexually assaulted, we should teach men that they are not entitled to women, and that rape is not okay. Society and negative media sources have taught men to believe they have a sense of entitlement towards women, they think that just because they were nice, or they are in a relationship with a woman they are entitled to sex with them. Spousal and relationship rape is valid and real, because it is not non-consensual sex when one party does not agree, its rape, simply, whether or not they’re dating, married or otherwise.

Some people believe that feminism ignores some of the struggles that men go through, which includes and the ideal of hyper-masculinity. When it comes to the idea of hyper-masculinity, it pertains to the idea that males cannot be emotional or have feelings, they can not to certain things or else they would come off as ‘girly’ or ‘gay’ (hyper-masculinity is also very homophobic). It ties back to the idea that it shameful to be like women, phrases such as ‘you hit like a girl’ or ‘man up’ show the intensity of misogyny that has been woven into society. How men are convinced that it is shameful to be like a woman in any way and that becoming more like a man makes a person superior.