The fact that I am even writing this editorial to prove the fight for women exists is mind-boggling to me, and demonstrates the very principles the movement was founded on.

The obvious reason the feminist movement is still relevant today is that women are still disrespected. It appears as if anti-feminists see the right for women to vote as the end of the fight for women, but do we have your respect? Men (and women who have been influenced by the misogynistic society we live in) have no respect for women and “slutshame”  them. Slutshaming is a result of a double standard, as men are glorified for having multiple partners (or even just one) and women are shamed for the very reason. But what confuses me (and people for women’s rights in general) is that women are sexualised at the same time. We are sexualized the moment when we are restricted from showing our shoulders or a provocative amount of our legs in schools. We are sexualized the moment we open a magazine or watch our favorite TV show and see a fellow women naked in an ad for Carl’s Junior or Calvin Klein. We are sexualized the moment we go to see a superhero movie and notice the women can’t fight evil, unless they are in suits that hug every unachievable curve. We are sexualized, and we are tired of it.

But even so, women still don’t have equal rights, politically and legally. Women do not have nearly the amount of seats in government in the United States, let alone the world. According to the cawp.rutgers.edu, only 19.6 percent of the people in Congress are women. Not only are we lacking women in Congress, the United States is actually behind in the progression of electing women into office, having never have had a female president, despite 70 female presidents and prime ministers elected throughout the world in the past. Some may argue nothing is holding women back from running for office, but does that mean people want a women in office? Growing up, I actually heard grown adults justify refraining to elect a woman solely based on gender. They would always use the words “hormonal” or “emotional” or attempt to say menstruation was reason enough. If this doesn’t horrify you, I don’t know what will. We are literally controlled by men. I wouldn’t be so opposed to men being in office and governing women as long as they didn’t control issues strictly regarding women. As of now men govern over women’s issues including menstruation products, birth control, Planned Parenthood funding (a place meant to provide free to affordable healthcare to women) and abortion, and they aren’t doing a very good job.

After being president for just three days, Donald Trump, surrounded by 7 men only, signed an executive order to defund Planned Parenthood nationally. This was done despite the approximate 2.5 million women and men who visit Planned Parenthood affiliate health centers for health care services in the United States annually, according to plannedparenthood.org.It doesn’t help that our Vice President Mike Pence also conducted numerous actions against Planned Parenthood, abortion and contraception rights for women as governor of Indiana. So as of 2017, men are still deciding what we can and cannot do with our bodies.

Most importantly, the fight for women would not hold relevancy if it didn’t include the struggles of people of color. By fighting against the patriarchy and for women, one is fighting against racism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia and ableism and fighting for equal rights for all genders, all sexualities, people of color, immigrants and the mentally and physically disabled. We’re not just asking for legal rights, but social acceptance as well for marginalized groups. Do not be confused, however, as feminism also fights for men to be equal to women. Feminism includes fighting for all people of all backgrounds and in all countries. This includes fighting against non consensual arranged marriages, honor killings and education for females that are not particularly in a place to rebel. Feminism is so much more than equal voting rights or the wage gap.

The fight for women shouldn’t be relevant, but it is because of the forced patriarchy set in place in the world. It is pertinent now more than ever to fight for women’s rights and respect as America just elected a president who gained his position by assaulting and disrespecting us. The fight is not even close to being over.