Beyoncé is so famous that she doesn’t even need to introduce herself, but she does have to declare that she is a feminist. The singer, actress and woman vocalized her viewpoints on gender rights through her latest self-titled album. In particular, her song “***Flawless” declares the accurate definition of a feminist as a “person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.”

Many celebrities, including women, deny being feminists when asked that question because they fear that people will think of them as man-hating hippies. But Beyoncé addresses the fact that being a feminist does not necessarily include favoring females.

The reason why feminism is more focused on women is due to the fact that women in general face more political and social problems due to their gender. Birth control, abortion and sex trafficking are all primarily women’s issues because they are anatomically wired to have children, and they can’t help that.

Gender issues still exist in first-world countries. In the U.S., the average woman earns 84 cents for every dollar the average man makes, according to a BuzzFeed study.

Although the pay gap doesn’t seem like too much of a difference, it adds up quickly at the end of the year. A majority of single parents are women and need to not only pay for their children but their own supplies for just being a woman.

The average woman spends nearly $2,329 per year on birth control, gynecologist appointments and menstruation supplies along with other female-orientated health products, according to an Upworthy infographic. Yale University’s researchers did a study in which they turn in identical resumes to employers, one with the name “Jennifer” and the other with “John.”

Although the bias was deemed as subconscious by researchers, the male was offered $30,238 per year whereas the female was offered $26,508 per year, which is a total difference of $3,730.

That difference between equal pay could cover not only the supplies and doctor appointments for women per year, but even enough to have money left over. Beyoncé doesn’t consult to feminism because she needs the extra money, but rather for the reason that women should be seen as equal to men.

Emma Watson, the beautiful, British actress who is also a representative of the United Nations, declared the #HeForShe Movement. In retaliation to her feminist statement, people threatened to leak nude photographs of Watson.

As soon as a person with influence, such as Beyoncé and Watson, declares that feminism is OK, some people become afraid that women are rising up and embracing themselves and their gender.

The feminist argument can be as simple as the fact that people would think this opinion would be much more impactful if a man wrote it rather than just another woman “ranting” about equality.

Rosa Johnson

@LinfieldReview