Feminism is Giving People the Right to Choose.
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“Are you a feminist?”, asked my twelve-year-old cousin.
“Of course I am, aren’t you?”
The response was a frown.
“I guess not. I believe in equality of genders.”, she responded.
I didn’t know what to say. It’s like saying I love water but hate H2o.
Recent years have seen a lot of talk and hype about the word feminism. Although, no doubt there are still people who have not quite understood what feminism means.
There are still some myths tied with this ideology. Let us quickly check whether we know what feminism means, or are we getting it completely wrong.
Myth- Feminism is only XYZ, not ABC.
Fact- Feminism is surprisingly subjective.
Feminism is what you make of it. Your feminism might describe a completely different arena than my feminism. For X, feminism might mean getting an equal say in the office and for Y, feminism might mean not shaming men for crying. In short, every other thing that gives you the right to choose and make your own decisions — right from deciding which dress to wear, to where and what to work for, till whether to get married or not.
In short, just let people be.
If a woman chooses to stay single forever, her choice. If a man chooses to wear lipstick, his choice.
We are nobody to judge or more importantly interfere with their decision of what they want to be.
Myth- Feminism supports a female-dominated society.
Fact- Feminism discards both matriarchy and patriarchy
Many people, especially men, mistake feminism to be the idea that only women are born to lead, only WE have problems, only WE face obstacles, and hence it should be only us who should rule and dominate men.
JESUS CHRIST.
EQUALITY is the basis of feminism. Equality of opportunity and expression for both males and females is what feminism truly signifies. Feminism is not trying to glorify only women; but since it was females who were kept devoid of all basic rights, they, as a result, form the bigger part of the picture.
The ‘feminine’ in feminism is what makes people misunderstand the whole ideology. It’s not only about women, it’s about breaking gender stereotypes, being flexible. We need to look at things through a broader mindset.
If you root for women raising voices against illogical gender roles, but at the same time shame a man for quitting work and deciding to be a homemaker, you are not a feminist, but a hypocrite.
When we are talking about breaking gender roles, our job is not only to cheer up women who are outperforming men, in fields that were earlier dominated by men but at the same time to teach men to be comfortable doing jobs, that by society’s norms, are designed only for women.
Teach your son to cook his food, wash his clothes, clean his room. These are life skills. If you are teaching your daughter to be independent, teach your son to be independent as well. Let him be smart enough to cook and feed himself when he’s hungry.
Let us not forget, personal independence precedes emotional and financial independence.
Myth- We need feminists, not pseudo-feminists.
Fact- You are either a feminist or a hypocrite. There is no in-between.
There’s nothing called pseudo-feminism. Pseudo-feminist is just another word coined for a hypocrite. So when you are pointing out a person who claims to be a feminist but acts otherwise, call him/her a hypocrite rather than a pseudo-feminist. Not only it sounds weird, but it derogates the base word.
Why is our society so unsure of feminism?
Feminism needs all genders because feminism is ultimately for ALL GENDERS. But still, our society seems to be quite skeptical about feminism. Reason? Well, if we observe, the truth is that we as people have always been afraid of accepting changes. We have been afraid of intelligence. Things get worse when this intelligence is associated with a woman.
Don’t get me wrong but look for yourself how intelligent, outspoken, and aware women who raise their voice are treated in the society. They are often called rude. It’s not until that smart woman gets to a position of authority, is she treated well.
A woman, even today, is expected to be just pretty and quiet. Too outspoken, too ambitious, too woke? Umm… not quite a woman.
Feminism more than anything else is encouraging women to express themselves. We too have needs, desires, and ambitions. We have complete rights over our lives. When a woman refuses to live by society’s standards and instead, listens to her inner voice she’s being simply courageous. When we come across a female who’s trying to break barriers, we must support her.
Lastly, dear women, the society is accustomed to us being the ultimate flexible, ready-to-adjust, diffident, and weaker gender and our job is to shake that belief from the core.
PEACE.
