This special guest post is from my daughter, Emily Rodgers of Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. Em gets it. Always has & always will. So proud of her.

Feminism. What do you think of when you hear the word?

Do you think of bra-burning, ball-busting, liberal women complaining that men are jerks and declaring the need to stand by our “sisters”?

Well truth be told this is exactly why women need to fight harder and smarter than men to be respected, understood, and appreciated. Because few take “feminism” seriously.

I will tell you exactly what real feminists think and do. I’m not talking about the man-haters. I’m talking about women who believe in equal rights being just that: EQUAL.

Think of women as the underdog. We’ve been told our whole lives we can’t do things because that’s what men are for, or that men will always do it better… so why bother. Anyone who has actively followed sports knows that there’s much to be learned from the underdog. Fighting through adversity consistently and patiently leads to the development of new approaches and lines of thinking, and eventually to success and achievement.

Feminism on principle wants to eliminate the divide and bring equality to men and women. However, feminism itself certainly has a divide. On one hand, there are radical feminists who want nothing more than to see the male species eliminated entirely. And then there are what I call “moderate” feminists who want the same opportunities for both men and women. Isn’t that after all what “equal rights” means?

This is why I call myself a Feminist.

It’s no secret that women have suffered and still do.

The suffering of not having the right to vote, the right to employment, the right to control over one’s own mind, body and soul, the right to life. But feminism is not about getting back at “men” for the inequality women suffer. It’s about using our empowerment which comes from persevering through the underdog role, to pave the way for equality on every level. Whether it be race, sex, class, age, sexual orientation, or any other reason to judge someone, women have the numbers and the power to make a difference and set the example.

We can use our cause to make the world a better place. And not just play the “blame game” like many of the aforementioned radical feminists tend to do. That’s not what true feminists are about. And the many people involved in the original women’s movement would agree. We can’t have a world worth living in without both men and women.

I recently bought a bracelet for $33.

Thirty of those dollars go to an organization called BraveHeart Women which brings together Israeli and Palestinian women in the attempt to force them to set aside their differences and realize that they are all women. They are raising families, contributing to society, educating their communities, trying to please and appease and doing all of that while being marginalized by their own culture. They have critical roles to play in this world and their religion should not determine their hatred for each other.

If only we could apply this same BraveHeart Women tactic to all other religious, idealistic wars and disputes that have been based on power struggles. Do you see where I’m going with this?

Women are leading the way in modern ways of negotiation and peacemaking. And why? It’s because many women know firsthand what it is like to be discriminated against and therefore have solutions to offer.

I encourage you to put your judgments on feminism aside and just think about what it has to offer this world if properly promoted and applied.

Some people dream about winning the lottery. I dream about a world in which women have implemented systems that no longer tolerate discrimination.

It can’t be done by one person. It takes many people with the same vision. United and committed. Determined and passionate. And for you, it started when you read the first word of my post. Take this perspective out into the world with you today. Make one small effort to change the way things are. Notice what is deemed acceptable and what goes against what I’ve shared with you here.

Women are the dark horses.

Remember the power you hold.

Use it.

And use it today.

Thanks to my beautiful daughter, Emily – a true and thoughtful feminist.