Respecting women should be an easy concept, but apparently it isn’t, and if you don’t believe me then you should spend an hour in a grocery store parking lot. It is the year 2016 and for some reason, feminism is a highly debated topic.

I have been working at a grocery store for a little over a month. I bag groceries, push shopping carts in the parking lot, and clean registers and bathrooms. My uniform consists of black slacks/khakis, a polo, an apron, and a neon green and silver vest for when I push carts. While pushing carts, I began to notice men catcalling me at least three or four times in the span of an hour. I also experience grown men making uncomfortable comments when they come through my register line.

How anyone could be against gender equality blows my mind. I can never grasp how some people assume that girls outwardly ask for attention through their clothing and appearance. Whenever anyone takes a stand on this issue, they get criticized and belittled and get put under a “crazy, extreme” feminist category.

For people who say we don’t need feminism because  there is already gender equality, or even for those who don’t believe in gender equality at all, I am here to say that you’re the crazy one.

These experiences make me dread pushing carts, and I’m even more nervous when it gets dark. As this occurred so often, I grew more and more frustrated, not to mention insecure about the way I carry myself.

I know I am not asking for it. I am working. I am wearing my required uniform, and I always refuse to acknowledge any distasteful comments from customers. Yet, this still happens.

If I’m lucky enough to not get catcalled for an entire hour, it seems like someone always comments on how they “can’t believe girl employees have to push the carts too.”

This is something that happens to women and girls everywhere. This is why we need feminism. It is not some made-up Twitter trend or exclusive cult for women to get together and make men feel bad. Some women need feminism because they’ve gone through unexplainably aggravating and uncomfortable situations. To call someone crazy or even radical for purely standing up for themselves is just not okay.

It is also not right for grown men to think it’s sweet and flattering to yell comments at girls in public places.

Girls do not like this. Girls are not flattered by this. This makes girls mad and uncomfortable, especially in a working place.

Whether you see it or not, women are held to stereotypes every day and often face prejudice. I will never understand why this is a controversial topic. Feminism is supposed to be a positive movement that promotes the confidence of all genders and prevents situations like catcalling from happening because it does happen.

I shouldn’t conclude without saying that I understand not all men are like this, and there are plenty who do have genuine respect for women. In fact, I believe that most men have decency towards women, which is why my experiences are so surprising.

For those of you who are advocates for gender equality, like I am, we can’t be afraid to speak out on this. The people who should feel crazy are the people who think we don’t need feminism – not the people who look to it for hope and healing.

I understand there is an extreme side to everything, but you just can’t alienate feminists if you’ve never experienced a situation in which feminism was necessary. Stop making women feel bad for needing feminism.

If you’re a woman who experiences these day to day issues, you know exactly why feminism is imperative.