by Gabby Redpath

Women deserve the same human rights as men because women belong to the human race as well. In most countries, this simple truth is not understood. In some countries, this gender barrier remains as clear as day — in Saudi Arabia women still cannot vote. In other countries, the disparity between the two genders is more subtle — in the United States, on average women are only paid 79% of what men receive (as of 2014).

“I’m absolutely an advocate of feminism, but only to a point,” argued Oakdale Senior Riley Gill. The majority of feminists want worldwide equality: a cause much more important than Miley Cyrus taking her bra off during a concert.

“Feminism, at it’s core, is needed, but [extreme feminists] want to put themselves ahead instead of equal,” states Oakdale High Senior Tony Bianchini. Equality is the basic goal of every feminist, but some feminists take this a little too far. Just as there are religious extremists, there are feminist extremists. The idea as a whole is misunderstood because of this subgroup; misguided feminists accidentally move their cause a few steps backwards.

Many people, men and women alike, are feminists without even realizing it. The Merrriam-Webster Dictionary defines feminism as “the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.”

Supporting feminism doesn’t have to mean supporting Cyrus’ nude concerts, just as insulting a man when he opens the door for you begets anti-chivalry; supporting feminism is simply believing that women deserve to be the equal to men.

http://www.wisegeek.org/in-which-countries-are-women-not-allowed-to-vote.htm\

http://www.aauw.org/research/the-simple-truth-about-the-gender-pay-gap/

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feminism