field. Therefore, they only hear about the extremists who do not want to achieve equality between the sexes, but create a society where women are privileged and considered more valuable than men. This could not be further from the true meaning of feminism, but it is what comes to mind for many when thinking about the word (Burkett and Brunell 1).
Moreover, another reason that plays a major role as well is the fact that many men are scared of feminism and what comes along with it. Kathy Caprino claims that some men fear that they will end up losing power, impact, influence, economic opportunities and control if feminism grows bigger. They are also afraid that feminism will affect relationships, society, business, culture and authority dynamics in a negative way. Feminism is all about fighting the patriarchy, which is a long established set of societal norms that puts masculinity and men in a better position than femininity and women, and that might be why some men do not want to join the worldwide movement. They do not see why feminism is necessary in our modern society because they might not see the existing inequalities or they might not have experienced the kind of oppression many women do on a daily basis (1).
Gender inequalities in society are real. Feminism is needed for thousands of reasons. Women are still seen as inferior in many situations, and the societal expectations make it seem like a large part of their worth is determined by appearances. Feminism is necessary because there is a 23 percent pay gap, even though men and women are supposed to be paid the same for the same type of work and have equal employment opportunities (Cavanaugh). There is a 35 percent risk that a woman’s perceived competency worth falls by 15.088 USD if a woman is seen as forceful or assertive in the workplace, which proves that there is a real gender bias in the workplace that can possibly be an obstacle for women’s success (Caprino 1). Feminism is also needed because women’s rights to their own bodies are still being discussed, because one out of six women have been a victim of rape or attempted rape, and because society teaches women how to prevent rape, instead of teaching people not to view women as objects (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network). Even though it is 2018, only 13 out of 178 heads of state in the world are women, and the right to their own bodies is still being discussed and legislated (First Ladies).
The list of why feminism is necessary could go on forever. The good thing is that more people are beginning to understand and join the worldwide movement, despite all misconceptions and negative stigmas to the word. The US is slowly moving towards a more feminist direction, and it is evident since a majority of the young generation identifies themselves as feminists (Cai & Clement). Despite this positive development, there are always going to be those who will be against feminism, and extremists are always going to send the wrong message about the movement. That is why the spreading of knowledge is crucial: that is how the remaining problems can be addressed, and how the real idea with feminism can be mediated.
Women have come a long way in their fight for equal rights, and it is clear that society has improved during this journey. In the workplace, business benefits from having women in leadership positions. Women are great at developing other colleagues, show high financial performance and building relationships, both within and outside the company. They also have a tendency of inspiring others and motivating them to succeed. These characteristics are extremely valuable for a society in order for it to function as well as possible (Alender).
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