Because Women Matter

It is so astonishing to me to see how little people actually know about feminism. It is even more shocking to me how many women know so little about the movement that gave them their right to vote.

So, instead of giving the answer I usually give people who ask what feminism is (“ it is a movement that fights for equal rights between men and women”) I sat down and made a list of exactly why feminism matters. This is what I came up with:

1. Because feminism gave women their right to vote.
2. Because feminism gave women the ability to pursue the same careers as men.
3. Because feminism helped make sports equal between men and women (remember when women could only play half court basketball instead of full court like men did?)
4. Because feminism says it’s okay to be single, unmarried, successful…and happy.
5. Because feminism says you don’t need a man/woman to make you happy.
6. Because women have the right to be proud of who they are.
7. Because women have the right to define themselves how they want to define themselves. On nobody else’s terms but their own.
8. Because women deserve equal rights. On average, women still make 60 cents to every man’s dollar in the work force.
9. Because women have the right to love themselves and their bodies.
10. Because every woman needs to acknowledge the feminists that came before her and gave her the rights she has today.
11. Because being stick-skinny is not the only kind of beautiful.
12. Because there needs to be more awareness of eating disorders.
13. Because on average 11.5% of college students are victims of rape or attempted rape.
14. Because I can’t tell you how many times one of my girlfriends has complained to me about her body and how ugly she is.
15. Because too many woman make themselves feel inferior to men.
16. Because I can’t tell you how many times I see a man taking advantage of a woman (or vice versa) and the woman (or man) blaming themselves instead of blaming the other person.
17. Because too many woman (and men) are unable to see what they are worth and what they deserve.

And the number one reason: BECAUSE WOMEN MATTER.