Romiya Acharya

Why the Word "Feminist" Still Makes People Uncomfortable

As the world marks International Women's Day on March 8, conversations about gender equality often return to a simple question:

Why does the word feminist still make people uncomfortable?

There is a certain tone people use when they say the word feminist.

Sometimes it sounds like a joke. Sometimes it sounds like criticism. Occasionally, it feels like a warning-as if the word describes someone who is difficult, loud, or confrontational.

I have heard the phrase myself:

"Oh, she's that feminist kind of girl."

What interests me is not the label itself, but the discomfort behind it.

Because feminism, at its core, is not complicated. It simply means believing that women deserve the same respect, freedom, and opportunities as men. It means believing women should be able to make decisions about their own lives without being pressured to stay quiet, behave a certain way, or limit themselves simply to make others comfortable.

Yet even with such a straightforward definition, the idea of feminism still makes many people uneasy.

And that raises an uncomfortable question:

Why?

The Conversation About Equality Is Far From Over

Around the world, women's voices remain underrepresented in many areas of public decision-making. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, women currently make up only about 27.5 percent of national parliament members worldwide, meaning men continue to occupy the majority of political leadership positions.

These realities make one thing clear: the conversation about equality is far from over.

But resistance to feminism does not appear only in statistics. Sometimes, it appears in everyday conversations.

Resistance in Everyday Conversations

I experienced this during a discussion about a U.S. presidential election. Several people in the room strongly supported one candidate, and out of curiosity, I asked a simple question:

Why?

I genuinely wanted to understand their reasoning.

They mentioned economic issues such as gas prices and the strength of the economy. When I asked what they thought about other policies on the candidate's agenda, the atmosphere in the room shifted immediately.

Instead of continuing the discussion, my question seemed to make people defensive. The conversation stopped being about ideas and became about making me feel as though I had said something wrong.

Four men in the room began questioning me intensely. Their tone made it clear that my curiosity itself was the problem.

Eventually, I stopped responding and said I did not want to continue the conversation.

After that moment, the dynamic in the room changed. The sense of respect that had existed before seemed to disappear.

That same evening, one of the men began making explicit sexual remarks while his girlfriend sat beside him. She laughed along as though nothing unusual had happened.

The experience stayed with me because it revealed something statistics cannot fully capture: how easily women's voices can be discouraged in everyday interactions.

Research on gender and political communication shows that women are more likely to face interruption, dismissal, and social backlash when expressing opinions in mixed-gender discussions, particularly about politics. Studies on political participation also indicate that women are often discouraged from engaging in political debate or pursuing leadership roles because of the criticism and skepticism they encounter.

These reactions may seem small in isolation, but collectively they shape the environment in which people feel comfortable speaking.

And when speaking comes with social consequences, silence often becomes easier than participation.

Feminism Exists Precisely to Challenge That Silence

Feminism exists precisely to challenge that silence.

It is not about hostility toward men.

It is not about competition between genders.

It is about recognizing that equality requires more than quiet agreement-it requires people to speak openly when something is unfair.

And feminism is not only about women. Anyone who believes that women deserve respect, safety, opportunity, and the freedom to make decisions about their own lives supports the principles behind it.

So when someone says, "Oh, she's that feminist kind of girl," perhaps the real question is not about the woman being labeled.

Perhaps the real question is why, even in 2026, believing in equality can still feel controversial.

Because if equality still needs a label today, the real problem is not feminism.

The real problem is our discomfort with equality itself.

References

Inter-Parliamentary Union. (n.d.). Gender Equality. Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Karpowitz, C. F., & Mendelberg, T. (2014). The Silent Sex: Gender, Deliberation, and Institutions. Princeton University Press.

Lawless, J. L., & Fox, R. L. (2010). It Still Takes a Candidate: Why Women Don't Run for Office. Cambridge University Press.

The Reality Behind the International Student Experience

When people talk about studying in the United States, they usually picture opportunity, a quality education, and the chance to build a better future. What they often do not see is the stress international students carry every single day, especially when it comes to immigration status, work authorization, and employment opportunities.

For many of us, getting an education in the United States is not just a choice. It is a sacrifice, a source of hope, and sometimes the only viable path forward. Yet instead of feeling supported, we often feel as though we are walking on thin ice, afraid that one misunderstanding, one policy change, or one employer's hesitation could place everything we have worked for at risk.

As an international student from Nepal, I have learned how difficult it can be to focus on academics while constantly managing visa requirements, financial pressures, and uncertainty about the future. These experiences have shaped my understanding of this issue, and they are why I am speaking from lived experience, not simply observation.

The Employment Challenge

Employment opportunities are where these challenges often become most painful.

There were times when I received genuine job offers, only to hear: "Unfortunately, we can't move forward because you're an international student."

In many cases, employers did not take the time to understand that early work authorization programs such as Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Curricular Practical Training (CPT) typically do not require employer sponsorship. At that stage, we are not asking employers for immigration sponsorship. We are asking for the opportunity to gain experience-the same opportunity domestic students are often able to pursue without concern.

Yet instead of asking questions or seeking clarification, many organizations close the door immediately.

It is difficult to describe how discouraging that feels. You work hard, compete alongside everyone else, and meet the same academic and professional expectations. Yet your entire identity can be reduced to a single word: international.

The Weight of Misconceptions

What can be even more painful are the comments that linger long after the conversation ends:

"They're taking our jobs."

The reality is that we are not.

No one approaches international students and says, "We have an opening. Would you like to skip ahead of U.S. citizens?"

That is not how hiring works.

We interview. We compete. We study late into the night, learn new systems, take demanding courses, balance academics with immigration requirements, and rely on the one thing we can control: our knowledge and effort.

If we are fortunate enough to be selected for an opportunity, it is because we earned it-not because it was handed to us.

The data supports this reality.

According to NAFSA, international students contributed $42.9 billion to the U.S. economy and supported approximately 355,000 jobs during the 2024-2025 academic year.

We are not taking jobs away from Americans. We are contributing to the economy, supporting communities, and, in many cases, helping address workforce needs.

We are not harming the country. We are helping strengthen it.

The Emotional Cost

What statistics fail to capture is the emotional side of this experience.

They do not show the nights spent refreshing immigration websites, worried about missing an important update.

They do not show the anxiety of standing in an airport, wondering whether a misunderstanding or unexpected question could jeopardize your future.

They do not show the personal sacrifices-missing weddings, funerals, birthdays, and other important family milestones because leaving the country could create risks for your education or immigration status.

Nor do they show what it feels like to be blamed for circumstances beyond your control.

When international students face financial hardship, some people respond by saying:

"You agreed to pay. It doesn't matter what changed."

As though emergencies never happen.

As though families never face hardship.

As though we have extensive support systems available to us in the United States.

Many of us do not.

Returning home is not always a realistic option either. After political upheaval and instability in my home country, opportunities diminished rapidly. The future I once imagined there no longer exists in the same way.

That reality is why employment opportunities in the United States matter so much. For many international students, building a future here is not simply a preference-it may be the only realistic path forward.

A Gap in Understanding

A significant part of the problem stems from misunderstanding.

Many employers assume that hiring an international student automatically requires immediate sponsorship. In many cases, that assumption is incorrect.

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Optional Practical Training (OPT) authorization is granted to the student rather than sponsored by the employer. Similarly, the Department of Homeland Security authorizes Curricular Practical Training (CPT) through educational institutions, not employers.

For many early employment opportunities, employers are not required to sponsor or file immigration petitions. Yet countless organizations remain unaware of these distinctions.

This lack of understanding creates barriers that often have nothing to do with a candidate's qualifications, work ethic, or potential.

Moving Forward

International students cannot solve these challenges alone.

Universities need advisors who are equipped with current immigration knowledge rather than relying on outdated resources.

Employers need better education about the differences between sponsorship requirements and early work authorization programs.

Policymakers need to modernize systems that often make it unnecessarily difficult for talented individuals to contribute to the country where they studied.

International students bring languages, cultural perspectives, resilience, adaptability, and global insight. We learn to navigate two worlds simultaneously, and that experience develops strengths that benefit classrooms, workplaces, and communities alike.

We do not want pity.

We want fairness.

We do not want shortcuts.

We want clarity.

We do not want to be viewed as a problem.

We want to be recognized as people.

People who worked for their education.

People who earned their opportunities.

People who simply want the chance to use the knowledge, skills, and experiences they worked so hard to obtain-not only for themselves, but for the communities and organizations they hope to serve.

References

NAFSA: Association of International Educators. (2025, November 17). International students contributed $43 billion to the U.S. economy in 2024-2025; Fall 2025 spending down by $1.1 billion.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 Students.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Policy Manual, Volume 2, Part F, Chapter 5: Practical Training.