According to Webster’s Dictionary, feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social and economic equality to men. This belief system can be traced back as early as the 19th century and has grown in popularity as time has progressed. Yet, according to The Huffington Post the connotation of feminism has changed which has opened the door to a new group that has taken over social media platforms. This movement is meninism.

This relatively new movement has stemmed from the feminists’ claim that there is a “lack of real men” in society. And yet, the man’s role in society since the origin of feminism has stayed relatively unchanged.

So the question becomes, what constitutes a “real man?” The answer is clear, stated by feminist.com, a “real man” respects women. Meninism advocates the equality of the sexes. Furthermore, the meninist mindset promotes the idea that both men and women face societal stereotypes which prevent them from being who they really are.

Even though both of these groups seem to advocate for the same thing, gender equality, they are still different. Meninists are more concerned with flat out equality for both sexes. Meninists, unlike feminists, do not necessarily feel that the most  important aspect for women in the political, social and economic aspects.

Overall, regardless of where one feels affiliated, both these groups hope to end the stereotypes placed on people solely for gender. As stated in an article from TalkItOver, not all “men are insensitive,” not all “women love shopping and gossiping” and not all “men only think about sex and sports.”  The real problem in society which both these groups highlight is the idea that gender defines one as a person.

If society accepted the fact that there can be feminine males and masculine females, the whole world would be a better place.