Feminism: Necessary or Not? By Jade

Feminism, Webster dictionary defines the term as: the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.  The dictionary also lists another definition: organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests.  A feminist would be defined as a person whom embodies these beliefs.  As a young girl I felt like I knew what a feminist was but thought that only a woman could be one.  As I grew up and as I read the definition today I feel as though a man could be a feminist as well. 

My experiences as an adult woman has only extended almost eight years.  In this time I have observed some opinions concerning women’s rights or the beliefs surrounding feminism.  I feel as though society or aspects of society think the sexes are relatively equal.  Women are in many equal roles as men.  A girl born today can choose nearly whatever profession she wants.  Salary gaps between the sexes are closing as well.  So do we really need feminists, what are we really fighting for?

I recently had a conversation with a male friend who was posing questions similar to these to me.  I was on the defense stating that equality between men and women have come a long way but it definitely was not equal. During the course of the conversation is dawned on me, he had never experienced life as a woman.  Seems like an easy enough conclusion to come to but it felt like an epitome moment for myself.  Growing up as a woman I saw the way my male friends were treated differently from my female friends, I also experienced the way I was treated growing up a girl.  I saw the biggest difference in nursing school, we had 38 females and 4 males in my graduating class.  Most of the time males seemed to be treated a little extra special like a budding minority, something to behold.  It struck me as strange because they were not better nurses than my female companions solely because they were male.  It was because they studied hard, had relative job experience, and had the drive to want to become a nurse.  These qualities were similar to myself and my female cohorts.  It was the way society saw and treated them differently because they were men in a female dominated field. 

For those that say that feminist are a dying breed and there is nothing left to fight for, I simply do not agree.  I am not sure that the fight for equality will ever end, and I feel like that is ok.  I feel as though it gives me a little get up and go to my day knowing that I am an underdog.  While it does bother me that most days I am treated differently because I am a women, I know that I have my opinions and can make a difference in this world, we all can.