Women have always been treated differently: during the 1960s, women were limited in almost every aspect. Their jobs were to only clean, cook, and help with the household. In today’s world, women want to have the same equality as men politically, socially, and economically. They want a voice in society and in government. Women want to be heard and for others to understand what they are going through and how they get treated on a daily basis.

Feminism is defined as the advocacy of supporting women and their rights. Many people believe feminists hate men and are trying to attack them, but in reality they just want the same equal rights. Becoming a feminist does not mean that one believes in being above the other gender or better.

Feminists have campaigned and will continue to advocate for women’s rights, including the right to vote, to hold public office, and to work with fair earned wages or equal pay. Numerous feminist ideologies have developed over the years and represent different ideas.

Women deal with unfairness verbally, physically, and mentally. Some people put down women, using words, telling a woman she can not do as much as a man, which is disrespectful because women can put the same amount of effort as a guy can. Some commonly used comments to suppress women are as followed: “You play like a girl”, “you can not do it because you are a woman”, “only women cook and clean” and “you have to wash the dishes because you are a girl.” Saying these things are considered stereotypical. Many stereotypes can offend a woman, since not all are true.

In society, women can not wear what they want to wear since it may “offend” men or “attract negative attention”. We, as women, should teach men that women are humans too and that they are not objects to be sexualized. Everyone should treat all people with the respect that they deserve, regardless of his or her gender.

When it comes to the topic of sexual consent, women are often not taken seriously. In terms of sexual conduct, all men need to understand that “no means no” when women do not consent. On average, over 321,500 females are victims of rape and sexual assault each year. One out of every six American women has been a victim of attempted or completed rape in her lifetime. Women ages 18-24 who are college students are three-times more likely to experience sexual violence than others.

Women get the opportunity to express how they feel by participating in marches or rallies, such as the “Women’s March”. The Women’s March is a worldwide protest to support women’s rights, as well as to raise awareness for the cause

In 2018, Halsey, a popular singer and women’s rights activist, delivered a speech to more than 200,000 protesters at the second annual Women’s March. Halsey’s speech informed others about how women get treated everyday and the topic of sexual abuse and rape. She also told others about her emotional and powerful experiences about her own abusive story. The Women’s March started on January 21 of 2017, and will continue on annually. Many powerful women over the last two years joined the Women’s March to stand for the rights of women.

We should treat women with respect, as all humans should have the same rights. Women should be able to achieve the same goals as men without others discriminating against them. Feminism is the movement for equal gender treatment and needs to be fought for by many different people to work towards achieving equality.