Feminism has had a rough few years. Many people have soured on the term feminism, claiming that the movement fuels “man hate.” Emma Watson, at the introduction of the “He For She”  United Nations campaign on Saturday, spoke passionately about the struggle that feminism has faced and what men can do to help improve the state of gender inequality. NYU students, however, are less divided on the issue, and understandably so. In our progressive bubble within liberal New York, feminism has not faced the polarized challenges it has elsewhere.

Feminism plays a large role in NYU extracurriculars. For instance, the all-female comedy troupe, Bechdel Test, recently came onto the NYU entertainment scene. The group provides a great environment for female comics to hone their craft. The Head Bitch In Charge Project is another manifestation of the university’s progressive mindset. HBIC encourages women to go out into the professional field with confidence and hopes to abolish certain stereotypes that the media attaches to young women. Last week, HBIC hosted a Women’s Night Out event, which allowed feminists at NYU to connect. Additionally, The Feminist Society at NYU has much influence. The Society strives to redefine the current perceptions of feminism and give students a place to discuss topics related to gender inequality. The Feminist Society deals with many issues that are important to the feminist cause, such as rape and street harassment.

Women still receive less pay for equal work and are continually denied control over the representation of their body image. We live in a world where Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is critiqued by colleagues — fellow elected lawmakers — on her weight, and rape in India is not appropriately addressed. There’s much work left to do.

NYU’s recruitment pamphlets insist that the university’s students are “of the world” and “global citizens,” and this might be the case. As NYU students, then, we must leverage our access to the educational network to spread the feminist ideas we have gained from our time spent within a progressive community.

Yes, feminism is alive and well at NYU, but just because equality for the sexes is an accepted principle within our community does not mean the same equality is embraced elsewhere. We must remember this. Watson concluded her speech with a call to action: “If not now, when? If not us, who?”

A version of this article appeared in the Tuesday, Sep. 23 print edition. Email the Editorial Board at [email protected].