From Seneca Falls — the first feminist convention — to have the ability to vote a woman into office, women have come a long way. In spite of all of these efforts for more than 200 years, women in other countries still don’t have basic rights such as voting or leaving the house without their husband’s permission. In fact, even in the United States, we still hear comments on how women need to stop acting like men and go back to being the wives they were meant to be. 

In Orlando, Florida, there is a convention taking place in May that is causing an uproar online and on social media. The convention, “Make Women Great Again,”  is having speakers [all male] come out and speak to the audience on how to “knock up” women – to get them pregnant and stay home. Their belief is that women have started to become too independent, and are the ultimate downfall of the country. 

From their view, as women reduce their household responsibility and concentrate more on their careers, they are not embracing their true “femininity.” They also claim women are the reason for broken families and high numbers of single parents in America. As if that’s not enough, they go on to explain how body positivity is fake and that men are “sizing us up for reproduction,” so they don’t want an unattractive wife, which shows just how much they respect women. 

This misogynist movement also turns the idea of feminism around and claims that it lies about women being able to “have it all.” To me, feminism is simply a way to express those who don’t agree with patriarchy, and I have never seen it being forced on anyone.

After the details of the convention came out, women paraded down the streets holding banners, while others turned to social media to share what they thought of being oppressed. It irritates me when men decide women shouldn’t be responsible for anything but bringing in the next generation. We have brought so many things into this world and no human being should be deprived the right of choosing which path they want to take. 

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth, Oprah Winfrey and Malala Yousafzai are just some of the women who dedicated their lives to reducing patriarchy in our world today. The ideal “debt-free virgins without tattoos” were definitely not the image they worked so hard for.