The Women’s Rights Movement has been well known for over a hundred years now, kicking off in America in the early 1900s when women began to fight for their right to vote. Then it faded off a bit, as that goal was accomplished, and then resurfaced again in the 60s and 70s when women began to advocate for equal rights in the workplace, school, and at home. These two waves were very clear cut, with very definable and legally achievable goals in mind. Women were granted the right to vote, and legislation was passed that made gender discrimination illegal. In recent years, the game has changed. The movement has changed its focus from the symptoms of sexism, such as women not being paid equally, to the “why” of it all. Why are women treated differently? What causes this mindset? And most importantly, how do we change it?

 In recent years, the word feminism has taken off. It has became a worldwide topic of debate over what it actually means and whether it is has a positive or a negative connotation. Its meaning has become jumbled and confused in the mix of social media with people trying to get a complex message across in 140 character tweets. The textbook definition of the word is the advocacy of women’s rights on the platform of the equality of the sexes. Somehow this  meaning has changed for a lot of people. Too often now it has become synonymous with man-hating and the belief that women are somehow better than men. People have gone as far as to coin the term “feminazi,” painting feminists as aggressive women who use equality as an excuse to try to gain an advantage. This outlook is completely untrue, but unfortunately it is the first thing that comes to mind when someone hears the word feminist.  Women shy away from labeling themselves as such because they do not want to be seen as pushy or overbearing, and men do not even think of the term as an option for themselves. Of course, there are extremists, as there are with any group, who do use the word as a way to earn a leg-up. Saying that these voices are the majority is like saying that all Muslims are terrorists — it is simply not true.

 These misconceptions are part of the larger problem. Sexism has become mainstreamed into our society to the point where we cannot even recognize it. Most people that are sexist do not even know it. American society has trained them to view women altogether negatively, and that is exactly what is happening now with the feminism movement. Senior Juliana Martinez said, “I think it’s important that girls don’t see feminism as a bad thing. It’s okay to speak up for yourself and believe that you’re just as important as men.” The movement today can get a little lost in translation, but the underlying motive is clear: equality between the genders. It honestly really is that simple.