Feminism, as defined by Google, is "the advocacy of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes." Many of us, including myself, would agree that men and women should be treated equally. Few would outright admit to being a sexist, and as a female, I certainly don't identify as one.
Despite this, there is a social stigma surrounding the word "feminism". When somebody says "I am a feminist", others assume a wide range of things about that person, such as that they hate men, that they think women are superior to men, or just bossy. In addition, when a person denies being feminist, it is sometimes assumed that they are sexist, or believe that men are superior to women. These assumptions stem from a misconception or a disagreement about what a "feminist" is. Most self-proclaimed feminists believe in equality of men and women, and certainly don't hate men. In this definition of feminism, I am a feminist, because I believe that men and women should have equal rights.
When I am asked whether I am a feminist, I shrug and say no, because I don't want to be associated with assumptions and stigmas surrounding the word. Hopefully, in the future, being a feminist will be seen as just, and purely about the equality of men and women, not anything else.
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