By: Jada Solomon

“We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men and women are created equal” -Elizabeth Cady Stanton. This quote has impacted and shaped a movement that was perceived by the inequalities that women have faced. However,progress has been made; women earned the right to vote, made abortions legal in all 50 states, marriage equality, and encouraged women in science and political workforces. As a whole,  we still have room for improvement in areas such as; domestic abuse, sex discrimination, equal pay, sexual harassment,and more. Personally, these issues are my top priority and I am passionate about because I cannot stand the idea of someone facing an injustice because of their gender. 

ART+FEMINISM
“ART+FEMINISM” by Graça Santos is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

    I believe that spreading awareness on women’s issues is imperative, especially now in the 21st century. Feminism as a movement,has faced its ups and downs such as constant criticism especially in Western culture. However, since the 19th century women fought for the right to speak their mind conveying that a woman’s opinion matters just as much a man’s. “It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.” —Madeleine Albright.

 I spend lots of time debating feminist topics that are controversial with classmates,and professionals and I feel so grateful because there was a time when girls didn’t have a voice. When debating “rape culture”, I mention that We live in a country in which 1 out of 6 of women are either sexually-harassed or raped at least once in their life. As a country, we must do better. Rape Culture has allowed society to punish a woman for what she is wearing instead of teaching boys “to not look”. Instead of teaching girls, “how to not get raped”, punish and hold men accountable for their actions.

Who needs feminism?
“Who needs feminism?” by Laura Forest is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Not only do I turn to classmates and professionals, I also research online and read many  books. One of my favorite topics to research is the wage gap. Research from reliable sources state that a woman makes 81 cents to a man’s dollar. The reasons for this is widely debated and experts have concluded with theories such as “there is no obvious measureable reason for a difference in pay… possible explanations that range from sexism to unintentional gender-based discrimination”. 

Our Feminism Must Be Intersectional Rally/March Pittsburgh
“Our Feminism Must Be Intersectional Rally/March Pittsburgh” by feral godmother is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

    Feminism is a topic I find captivating and I spend lots of time devoted to the cause. This movement, is one of the most important social movements of the century and will continue to impact this nation as time goes on. As an activist in the making, I will devote time and effort in this topic for the rest of my life.