The topic of feminism has an undeservedly negative connotation on my campus. During a recent seminar on culture and diversity, the lecturer asked if anyone in the room identified as a feminist. I, along with the majority of the twenty-person class, did not raise my hand.

It’s not that I am ashamed of my beliefs in gender equality, but I hesitate to label myself as a feminist due to the stereotypes and assumptions society places on the term. As Siobhan Garrigan, an English student at the University of Lincoln, explains, "young people don’t want to identify as feminists because there is this man-hating, frumpy, lesbian image forced on us."

For me, feminism is simply acknowledging the fact that women still face inequalities in various areas, such as reproductive rights and workplace opportunities. Maria Miller, the Conservative minister for women, wants to shorten the current abortion limit by four weeks, jeopardizing control over our own bodies. Women continue to be passed over for promotions in favor of male colleagues due to the assumption that they might get pregnant. Rape conviction rates have improved, but many women still hesitate to report the crime due to poor understanding by young men about consent.

However, my friend Dan believes that the feminist movement has lost sight of its goal to achieve equality and has instead turned towards empowering and "punishing" men. He claims that the term "feminism" is often used as a disguise for thinly veiled attacks on men, and many who identify as feminists employ double standards. This view on feminism seems to be present among my peers, regardless of gender.

This negative view of feminism may be partly due to how the movement is portrayed in pop culture, often over-the-top, man-hating or simply portrayed as not rational. For instance, the feminist character in Legally Blonde who suggests renaming semesters to ovesters because it sounds too much like semen is far from an ideal representation of what modern feminism entails.

Fortunately, the publication of Caitlin Moran’s book, How to be a Woman, has sparked a change in perspective. Moran, a smart and humorous writer, has made it acceptable for a new generation of women to identify as feminists and understand what the true essence of the movement is. She presents the viewpoint of modern feminists as informed women who continue to strive for gender equality.

When I identify as a feminist, I want people to understand that it simply means acknowledging the ongoing inequalities that women face and striving towards a future of true equality.