The “F” word is avoided by many and often viewed as a dirty word in society. Even strong female figures sidestep the word, afraid of being associated with its negative stigma.

Feminism is a subject that many are confused about. With the word comes misconceptions like alienating men, getting offended by gallantry and advocating the superiority of women. 

Stereotypes of being a butch man-hater scare women into dodging the title that their actions represent.

The history of feminism has to do with some of the stigma attached to the term. In the past waves of feminism, there have been extreme acts, such as burning bras and running around with no clothes. The problem is that these acts are usually all that is covered in the history classes, causing people to skew the genuine purpose behind feminism.

Currently, in what some call the third-wave of feminism, people are stuck between the negative stigmas that they have been taught. What is hard to realize is that feminism is responsible for many of the rights women have today.

When asked if she was a feminist, pop icon Katy Perry said, “I am not a feminist, but I do believe in the strength of women.”

However, that is exactly what feminism is: advocating women and believing in gender equality.

Feminism is about allowing women to step out of the gender roles in society and supporting an environment where there are equal rights for all sexes, races and sexual orientations.

We need these strong females in society to learn the meaning of feminism in order to advocate it and eventually help rid the stigma associated with the word. By associating with feminism, they could be the positive example of what it represents.

Instead of being taboo, feminism should be acknowledged as a positive tool of social progress.

Some women have begun to embrace the label. Beyonce, who used to sing “Cater 2 U,” a song about being at the foot of her man, has started singing about empowering women and with the help of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie defines feminism in her song “Flawless.”

In a TED talk and “Flawless,” Adichie defined a feminst as, “a person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.”

Another misconception is that feminism is just for women. There are strong men in society that advocate women’s rights as well.

During a press conference, singer John Legend said that he was a feminist and had some advice for men.

“All men should be feminists,” he said. “If men care about women’s rights the world will be a better place. We are better off when women are empowered — it leads to a better society.”

Once more people make the effort to understand the true meaning of feminism, society can effectively practice what the term represents — standing for the basic human rights of both sexes.

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