Recently some critics of the term “feminism” have been suggesting that the name be changed to either “egalitarianism” or “humanism”. Supporters of the switch argue that it would create a more inclusive movement, however I am not quite sold. I think that what is behind the name is what people feel threatened by, not the name itself. With that being said, my concern is that the new name would become “bad” similarly to how some feel the word “feminist” has. Furthermore, I do not think we, as a globalized nation, are ready to move on from the name “Feminism.” We live in a society where one in four women will be sexually assaulted during their college career, where women earn only 81% of what their male counterparts earn, and where they continually need to fight for the right for sexual health through access to contraceptives. Overall, I think it is important to focus not on the label, which can isolate some people and groups, but the message behind “Feminism.” Then we will be able to liberate all genders from set societal restrictions. Through these actions, we will be able to start making the changes that need to occur.

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