We've all heard it. Don't deny it - some of you have even said it. Some sneer at it, others, a select few, embrace it. But what, in this enlightened age, makes the "f" word so feared?

Feminism. Noun. The doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men.

Not so bad, right? But when I went out into the cold, harsh world of high school, I encountered some surprising opinions.

Melanie Thibeault, a sophomore at Attleboro High School said, “There is a misconception in today’s society about feminism. People stereotype feminists as rough-and-tough men-haters. In reality, feminists are people who believe in gender equality and they can be both men and women.” When asked if she herself is a feminist, Thibeault answered, “Apparently.”

If Thibeault has such a good grasp on what a feminist is, why is she so reluctant to be classified as one? Perhaps it’s because of the connotations Thibeault mentioned: Every feminist is a man-hater who fears the touch of razors and bras. Leslie Duclos, also a sophomore at AHS, said, “I’m not a feminist; I’m an equalist.”

Faced with the hesitance toward feminist ideas, I think we need a basic refresher course of what, exactly, feminism is.  

In history, there are three “waves” of feminism.

The first wave began with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, two 19th century feminists who met at the legendary Seneca Falls Convention to campaign for the right to vote. The first wave of feminism carried on into the 20th century, when American women, with the help of suffragettes, won the right to vote in 1920. Suffrage was accomplished only by perseverance and hard work, done by women (and men) who were unafraid to campaign for the basic rights every human should have.

The second wave began in the 1960s with women’s liberation, more commonly referred to as “women’s lib.” The ’60s feminism wave is the archetype many connect with feminists: angry, bra burning, unshaven, shouting women.

The third wave of feminism, the wave our modern society is living in, began in the 1990s and continues today. It began as an effort to improve second wave feminism, and focuses on broadening the sphere of feminism, focusing on people other than white, middle-class females.

Thus we have the three waves.

Is the work of feminism over? Should we, as global citizens, kick back, relax, and bask in the advances that American women have made? We have the right to vote, are protected by laws combating sexual harassment, and, overall, live comfortable lives.

The answer, simply put, is no. The work of feminism is not over, and as long as women remain second class citizens around the world, feminism will never be over.

In Nepal and India as many as 20 girls are trafficked into sex slavery every day (www.thedaymygoddied.com/questions.html). In the Middle East, daughters who have disgraced their families are murdered in “honor killings.” In the United States alone, one in six American women will be victims of sexual assault (www.rainn.org/statistics/).

The time of feminism is never over. As both men and women, we need to empower each other and fight for all our rights. Feminism is not about excluding men, or claiming female superiority. Feminism, in the words of “A Feminist Dictionary” authors Cheris Kramarae, Paula Treichler, and Ann Russo, is the radical notion that women are people.

To cover feminism with a bland, politically correct term such as “equalism” is to diminish the struggles and hardships of our foremothers and contemporaries altogether. To shave off the rough edges of feminism is to erase what it stands for. I, for one, am a proud feminist, stereotypes and all.

Feminism isn’t about solely supporting the rights of women; it’s about supporting the rights of humanity. After all, we’re all people. Aren’t you?