As defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary, feminism is “the theory of political, economic and social equality of the sexes”. This is not about the belief that women are superior to men, but about the need for women to receive the equal treatment they deserve. There are many physical differences between men and women, but that is no excuse for unfair treatment. Women work as hard as men but earn less. Women are expected to be composed and distinguished. And millions of women are afraid to go out alone because of the threat of being sexually assaulted. But men don't have to worry about walking to their car alone or making sure they fit society's standards for attractiveness. Although some individuals believe that men are biologically superior to women, as a society it is necessary for everyone to be considered and treated equally. If nothing is done, gender discrimination will persist because women will earn less than men (even when doing the same job), women will be subjected to unfair and sometimes outdated gender stereotypes, and attacks sexual relations will become more and more frequent. Men are paid better than women. This is a fairly well-known fact. In 2012, women still earned just 77 cents for every dollar earned by men, and it's worse for minorities. Laura Bassett of the Huffington Post points out that "among some minority groups, the wage gap is even worse: African-American women earn 69 cents for every dollar paid to African-American men, and Latinas earn just 58 cents per dollar compared to others. Latino men. The disparity becomes more pronounced when we compare these women to non-Hispanic white men” (5). This wage gap is still present even when a man and a woman have identical education, the same number of hours of experience and a...... middle of paper ......lt." Effects of sexual assault. | RAINN | National Rape, Abuse and Incest Network, Web April 7, 2014. “Gender Stereotypes” Web April 4, 2014. Hegewisch, Ariane, Claudia Williams and Angela Edwards. www.iwpr.org, March 2013. Web. April 5, 2014. Laura, Basset. “Women still earned 77 cents on the men's dollar in 2012: Huffington Post., September 17, 2013. April 5, 2014. "Statistics" Rape Statistics | RAINN | National Rape, Abuse and Incest Network., Web April 7.. 2014. .