Quill and Scroll planning (1)

Applying Feminism: The Hidden Misogyny of Today By Kayla Bolivar “I’m going to need some strong boys to move these chairs for me!” As the teacher asks, all the boys spring up from their chairs. As defiant as younger me was, I joined the ensemble of boys ready to prove their strength. The teacher gave me a glare that motioned me to sit back down. I sink back into my chair, frustrated that I was never allowed to be the brave one. Throughout my adolescence, I was a major tomboy. Repping my iconic pony tail and sport jersey, I would play football every day at recess and exclusively hang out with other boys. I was determined to prove to my peers that I could be as hardworking as the guys were. I constantly received remarks from adults or sometimes other students about why I insisted on resisting what was usually deemed normal. “Sit like a lady,” or “girls stay back and clean up,” were just minor regular comments back then, but now looking back, it is misogyny hidden under an innocent cover. Today, the term feminism is interpreted as a negative thing that exists to vilify men, as 52% of men interpret the movement as polarizing (Barroso, 2020). Despite the controversial stigma, feminism defines itself as the belief that all people are equal, and that historically, women have been put down as lesser than. It is not a belief of women being superior to men, which is popularly believed, but just as a movement to create equality among all people. Feminism has resonated with me from a very young age, when I realized that I can be strong too. According to a study conducted by Health Services Research (HSR), one in five women claim to have experienced violence solely based on their gender. This study surveyed 3453 U.S. women of all different races and incomes. The results included the following: 18% of women experience discrimination while going to the doctor or health clinic, 41% of women reported