You throw like a girl. You scream like a girl. Don’t be such a girl. Take it like a man.

All of these are phrases people hear over and over again and probably have even released from their own tongue. Whether it is addressed or not, there has always been a negative stigma around females in this world, and it’s time to end it. 

Feminism is a word that makes many people in this country nervous. The Merriam-Webster definition of feminism is “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes,” or, in simpler terms, the belief that men and women are equal. However, even in a world where sexism is alive and thriving, numerous people won’t openly describe themselves as a feminist greatly due to the negative stigma around the word. 

So, who is a feminist? What does a feminist do?

Many think that feminists believe in female superiority thanks to a small fraction of extreme evangelical feminists who give it such reputation. The real goal is to fight the ongoing issue of sexism.

The first time I can remember experiencing sexism was when I was in 7th grade. I wore my pair of shorts I had just gotten on vacation, and I came to school excited to show them off. While I may have started the day wearing my new denim cut-offs, I didn’t finish it that way. After being called out of class to go to the office, I was told that I had to change and that my outfit was a “distraction to my male peers.” The words pierced like a knife. 

Why is it fair to pull me out of class and take away from my education just because these male peers of mine are apparently unable to control their emotions? Why is it fair to value the males’ education over mine?

Feminism says that instead of schools shaming girls for dressing properly for the weather or wearing what they feel comfortable in, they should teach boys that girls are not sexual objects.

A sexist school dress policy is just one of the many ways in which females are underprivileged in society today. 

According to Forbes, a woman only makes $0.79 for each $1.00 a man makes for the same job in 2019. Additionally, gender stereotypes are found in all sorts of media. From oversexualizing women in movies and TV shows to always having men portrayed as powerful heroes who save the day, its ubiquitous impact is constant. Furthermore, even just things people say every day can be sexist, like saying “mailman” instead of the gender-inclusive term “postal worker.”

It isn’t difficult to find sexism in everyday culture, but feminism has the ability to end that. Those who believe in equality for men and women are feminists, period.

Throw the ball the way you want to throw it, and scream the way you want to scream. Regardless of gender, we are all human and that is what matters.