Feminism. The most misconstrued topic in society today. Perceived as a radical act of displaying powerful acts of solely female power within society, feminists stand for something that is quite the opposite.

When someone states that they are an active feminist, it is easy to see that some become uncomfortable, believing that feminism is a radical act in which women suppress men in order to gain liberation. They may picture a woman who believes in burning her bra to defy the feminine standards that are set for women. They may even think of a woman who doesn’t believe in marriage because that puts them in a box. However, all of these, I assure you are myths about all feminists.

So to begin, no, feminists do not at all believe in suppressing men to gain liberation. In fact, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary, feminism can be defined as: “The theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.” Therefore, this movement represents equality for all. To continue, yes, female feminists do express acts of femininity, but they do not want to be told how to act and perform, subscribing to societal standards. And yes, feminists do believe in marriage, but within their marriages, they do not want to be involved in an unequal relationship in which their significant other holds an unfair advantage over them. There are many so myths about feminism, which gives such an amazing movement such an unfair perception.

As stated before, feminism is the belief that men and women should have equal stances in society; not allowing one sex to take precedence over the other. Not only is the end goal of feminism to end gender inequality, but it is also to end the inequality that we see throughout all aspects of society: gender, race, class, sexual orientation, etc. This approach leads to ending injustices that occur all over society, injustices that we may not even realize occur all around us on a day to day basis.

However, throughout so many occupations, women of all ethnicities and races experience the wage gap. According to National Women’s Law Center, women earn 78.3 percent as much as men. In the workforce, it is also proven that people of different races and genders are hired less than white males. All of these frequent injustices are recognized by feminists and fought for.

Feminism is a movement that many are a part of in this world, but may not even realize it. It fights for equality for all, attempting to change the unfair standards that society has set for many. However, the misconceptions of this movement only hold back the endless possibilities it has in store for our future world. Feminism is a revolution that will continue to significantly change the way we live and I can’t help but embrace every aspect of it.