"Feminism is a dead topic..."

“Feminism is a dead topic,” is something I thought I would never hear coming from a girl, let alone in a Women Studies course at college. It really boils my blood when people still don’t see the value in feminism, or when they don’t even understand the concept. Most people are ignorant and even refer to feminists as “feminazis” just because they envision butch lesbians who hate men and want to see them perish. Truth be told even people who call themselves feminists try to pick and choose how a girl should look in order to deem them worthy of being called a feminist. People need to understand that first of all, feminism is about the pursuit of equality between both genders, and secondly any and all type of girls can be considered feminists. It doesn’t matter if a girl likes to dress up in heels everyday and wear a full face of makeup, or if she prefers t-shirts, sneakers, and doesn’t feel like wearing any makeup at all, both of these girls could be feminists and both deserve to be treated with respect.

I think the problem with the concept of feminism is that the patriarchy is so deeply engraved into society, and therefore our subconscious, that it seems impossible that feminism can cover the vast majority of issues it is trying to solve. Sure, the first two waves of feminism were able to make huge strides in tangible areas; women can vote, women can work, and our pay is almost equal to that of men. The third wave of feminism though, seeks to accomplish both tangible and abstract goals. The clearest issue at hand is that of abortion. Why do old men feel that they have the right to tell a woman what to do with her body and actually make laws that prevent a woman’s basic human right to choose whether or not she’s ready to have a child? The abstract goals will of course be much harder to accomplish. Yes, rape is a crime and there are serious laws against it, but why is it that the first thing a police officer will ask a victim is, “What were you wearing?” Sure, sex is everywhere in society, and it’s impossible to watch most commercials that don’t use gorgeous, half-naked women to sell a product, but when will people stop slut-shaming a girl simply because she enjoys having safe protected sex, without causing any harm to anyone? Of course, the fashion industry has changed greatly by creating the market for “plus size models,” but why are women constantly told that beauty has certain standards in today’s society and why aren’t all shapes and sizes of a woman’s body accepted? Honestly, the list goes on and on, but it is abundantly clear to me that feminism is not in any way shape or form a dead topic, and the sooner people are educated on these issues, the sooner society can improve for both genders.