What is Modern Feminism?

Nothing is more upsetting to me than hearing someone use the word “feminist” in a way that makes it sound like it’s an awful thing. I've had several ex boyfriends tell me “You’re not a feminist!” because I did not fit into their “man hating- tom boyish- bitchy- ugly Rush Limbaugh given idea” image of what a feminist is. This is the challenge for any modern feminist.  To be a feminist doesn't  mean you have to hate all things considered famine. There is a difference between loving to get dressed up and putting on make-up, and hating the media’s image of the “idea woman” by airbrushing every flaw that makes her human. 
Another feminist myth I'd love to debunk  is the idea that taking care of your family and those you love is anti-feminist. Being a feminist does not mean I refuse or don’t like to cook or I refuse to clean. It simply means that I’m also busy at times, and I expect my equal to help out. I happen to know some pretty bad-ass feminist who are stay at home moms. I also know some very  independent women who could be considered far from feminist. 
The F word is much more than wanting respect and power. Feminism in our time is not just concerned with the equal rights and fair treatment of women; in our modern age the core of feminism is humanism. Modern feminism is grounded in a history of social activism.  We had fought for our right to vote and better education, and we use both as a tool to fight for many social welfare issues including but not limited to civil rights, anti violence,  better working conditions, reproductive Heath care, and social reform. And we do it in a manner that only a warrior can! The modern feminist seeks to empower the oppressed, whoever they might be, acknowledging that helping another’s cause can only help strengthen our own.  

To be a modern feminist is to be a humanist.