Since the beginning of the development of societal hierarchy, there has been a struggle for equality between men and women. The ones who seek equality for all but especially between both genders are called feminists. Over the years, the word “feminist” has developed a bad connotation, morphing into a degrading insult used by people who do not see the severity and oppression towards women worldwide. The term “feminazi” came to popularity in the 1990’s to characterize feminists who pursued equality with extreme or militant force. Now, it is hurled haphazardly at any woman who wishes to be treated like an equal compared to men. “Feminazi” is a derogatory term that is grossly misused and misunderstood by our society, and the people will greatly benefit from the clarification of its oppressive meaning and why it should not be used.
The term “feminazi” is composed of the words, feminist and Nazi. A Nazi was a member of the National Socialist German Workers' Party under Adolf Hitler during World War II. They wreaked havoc in Europe, killing over six million Jewish people. They were all for the oppression of seemingly “inferior” beings. Just the opposite, a feminist, like earlier described, is a person who believes in feminism or the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. The two words together are known to describe a female who believes that to be able to achieve equality it must be done through extreme forces. The two words themselves completely contradict each other. Rush Limbaugh, a conservative talk-show host, brought the term to popularity in the late 1990’s, his definition is “a woman to whom the most important thing in life is seeing to it that as many abortions as possible are performed.” That is not what feminism’s main purpose even is. Though it was Limbaugh who brought to light the inaccurate word, he claims his good friend, Tom Hazlett, actually conceived the word to define any female who is indifferent to any different points of view challenging feminism, notably the extreme techniques claimed to be used. The origin of feminism’s comparison to Nazis started with a claim from Limbaugh’s book saying that he would “often use it to describe women who are obsessed with perpetuating a modern-day holocaust: abortion.” This preposterous claim notion furthers the confusion surrounding the true ideals of feminism. One of their many goals on the way to equality is to have complete control over what happens to their own bodies and to be able to dictate the decisions that affect them. Men have already had this seemingly unalienable right for centuries, without giving it a second thought, so why can’t women have that right as well?
The definition I hear most often of a “feminazi” is a woman who thinks her gender is unequivocally superior to a man and usually has unadulterated hatred for all men.  Just the other day, I overheard a boy I sit by in class call Hillary Clinton, a former United States Secretary of State and U.S. Senator, who is making great strides towards equality worldwide, a “feminazi”. When I inquired of him what his reasoning was for such an allegation, he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and turned away. It is quite easy to label a woman a “feminazi” but they rarely have substantial proof that someone is.That is because no one is a feminazi. While, there are plenty of cases where feminists try to combat misogyny with extreme measures of violence, the majority of feminists are peacefully protesting against this injustice. Why do “extreme” feminists even need such an unwarranted name? It only adds fuel to the ever-burning fire of inequality. Comparing them to Nazis is making a connection from people fighting for their basic rights to a group who committed some of the most heinous atrocities in modern times. When has a feminist ever committed mass genocide against a whole race? Never. That is because feminists are not Nazis. The prevalent use of “feminazi” mainly in North American continent seems to be triggered by men being threatened by autonomous women in life and especially in the workplace. This word has developed a prevalentr place in many media outlets. The image of a Nazi now being synonymous with feminism is ingrained into the minds of our youth and pushes them away from wanting equality. People all over the world, especially in the U.S are not being taught the correct definition of feminism and what it entails. There is no possible way that the word “feminazi” could be used in a positive light in when used to describe a woman. Considering the abominable associations, it is no wonder why very few men would willingly call themselves feminists. With its current definition, innumerable amounts of men think that to align themselves with the “feminazi beliefs” is to abandon their gender all together. The lesson that needs to be taught is instead of using detrimental language against feminists, it is vital to inform our society about the proper meaning of feminism.
What is commonly thought of as an insult used to degrade women can now be used as a stepping stone to improve our society.With the abolition of this word our world could take ground breaking steps in the direction of equality. “Feminazi” is a word that was invented by conservatists who needed a way to express their disdain at progressive women in the modern age. Not all feminists are do-gooders by far, in fact many women go to drastic lengths in the name of the cause, but so much good can come from an overall open mindedness about feminism. The comparison to Nazis is uncalled for and only furthers the false usage that spoils our country’s mind. Feminism will be around until egalitarianism is achieved, and instead of degrading its cause with words like “feminazi”, help open the doors for equality.