I am a feminist. People ask me why, and I always tell them that it's because it's the right thing. I haven't been affected by sexism n any major, life-changing ways, but I know people who have. I know there are so many pressing issues out there relating to sexism, and that my experiences with sexism are insignificant, but it is these things that has got me thinking about why feminism should matter to every single one of us, not just those affected by it.

I have an older brother, and we're both very messy people. The floors of our rooms are always covered by mess. My mum always tells me to tidy my room and that it should be clean, but when I ask why she hasn't asked my brother, she sighs and says: "Boys will be boys." That isn't fair, is it? Being messy isn't a masculine trait, it's a human trait.

My friend told me the other day that he thought I was 'dominant'. Not as an insult, he told me it was just an observation. When I asked him why, he told me that I liked to take charge. That's true, I do like to take charge. But no more so than my male friends. I don't have a problem with asking a guy to prom, but the guy I did ask told me it was wrong, and that I should wait until someone asked me instead. Is it wrong for me to take matters into my own hands? Is it wrong for me to not wait for someone else to do it when I am fully capable of doing so myself?

I grew up with an older brother, and I used to love playing with his lego. I loved building things, and we would always have competitions to se who could build the tallest tower. When I started in kindergarten, I asked where the lego was, and the Lego for Girls was shown to me. I didn't want to build flower beds and care for horses, I wanted to build towers! When I tried to play with the boys' lego, I was told to go back to my own set, and when I asked why, it was because those kind of toys weren't for girls. Why not? Why shouldn't I be allowed to build towers when all my male counterparts could?

When I'm having dinner with my family and go back for seconds of dessert, my grandparents always send me funny looks and tell me I need to be careful I don't gain weight. When my brother does it, they laugh and say he's a growing boy. I'm a growing girl. Does that mean I'm not allowed to have seconds, when my brother is?

As I mentioned above, these are just some minor issues that have affected me. These are the small reasons of why I'm a feminist, because I'm not treated as an equal to my brother, or any other males. It's unfair, and I'm going to take a stance against this. I'm passionate about feminism, and I'm going to be vocal about it, and no one is allowed to tell me I'm being too bossy or taking on too much for a girl.

Feminism is so important, and if you can empathise with me in any of my experiences, please stand up for yourself. Make sure that you are treated the same as your male friends, no matter how small the issue may seem. Small things add up, and if we overlook the small things, we'll never be able to reach equality. Please be vocal about this. Don' be afraid to speak your mind.