People have this misconception on what feminism is. Many believe that feminism is about removing men from power, when in reality, the idea of feminism is that gender should have no correlation to a person’s amount of success; personally and in the workforce. Feminism affects women every day.

Women are told that the way they look will affect their treatment. In school, girls are given promiscuous labels for wearing clothing that society has deemed unpresentable. Women are pointed out more for their clothing than men. If someone sees a woman in short shorts, she is judged based off of her looks alone. No one considers that women are wearing shorts and a camisole because it is hot.

In 2008 a study by Northern Illinois University professors Lee Shumow and Jennifer A. Schmidt, showed how teachers in science classes spent more time interacting with male students than female students. The study also found that women felt less skilled in science than their male peers. Now that colleges are moving more toward STEM -science, technology, engineering and math- the connotations on science classes need to change. A society cannot exclude 50 percent of the population from a portion of careers. Women deserve the right to be allowed equal opportunity in sciences and all other careers.

The notion that women need to be politically active is a key point in the new book Off the Sidelines by Kristen Gillibrand, New York senator. The book talks about how the feminist movement in America is farther behind in other developed countries and being able to have a teenage girl speak up for herself is a step in the right direction.

There are issues that students need to be concerned with as well. Sitting on the sidelines and hoping that those in power will do what is best for women is an out dated ideology. As we are starting to become adults and go into the world, we cannot walk in with blinders on. Young women need to educate themselves on the issues, and join in the causes to end misogyny.