Feminism

I am a feminist. Feminism today has come to be identified as something pesky in the minds of many. It is associated with protesting, causing trouble for no apparent reason and for being impractical. A large number of people consider it useless agitation. And that is both a saddening and a troubling scenario for a feminist such as myself.

With the principle of patriarchy, men have dominated the social sphere of human life. This might sound extreme, but the truth of the matter is that women have been treated as bearers and caretakers of children and the maintainers of the household for centuries, and continue to be treated as such in many parts of the world. They have been denied basic freedoms and rights; ones that men take for granted. Even as little as a 100 years ago, it was a major anomaly for a woman to get higher education, and this was the case in today’s developed world; let alone the case of poorer countries. Two centuries ago in India, sati was a common practice in which a woman was burned alive after the death of her husband, even against her own wishes. Can you hear the screams of that young girl who doesn’t even know the real meaning of marriage being burnt alive, her flesh melting away as she shouts and cries for help but nobody saves her?

It was against the backdrop of such oppression that women agitated for equal freedoms and rights. No, they didn’t want anything extravagant. They did not ask for men to burn themselves. The only thing they asked for were basic, fundamental rights such as being able to work and vote.

But that’s the past, some people might argue. Today, women in most countries have equal rights and freedoms as men. And I would agree with you. To a limited extent. Because although the situation has improved, at least on paper and to some degree in reality, we are still far, far away from equality. If you are a man and don’t believe me, ask any female around you.

Women are discriminated against, made to feel inferior and treated in a condescending way in many households. Even if that’s not the case, discrimination still exists in a few small, but significant, ways. Women are told what to wear, and what time to go out. A lot of the times, the concern is genuine as our society has innumerable perverted and sick individuals who tease, and in the worst cases, rape and kill women. This isn’t just unacceptable, it’s barbaric and something that a sane human couldn’t even imagine doing. What is the solution? I believe it is a stricter legislation and a lot better implementation of it. Also, we as a society need to stop blaming the victim and the circumstance. It’s the perpetrators fault. Period.

The fight for equal pay and fair treatment at workplace, of equal respect in household and of equal say in society still goes on. Consider this for a second- isn’t sexism as bad as racism or casteism? After all, it affects 50% of the population!

Which brings me back to the original question. Why do some people consider feminism pesky then? I firmly believe that it is because they do not understand the real meaning behind feminism. A few people, including some women, have used feminism to stew hatred between men and women. Others have used it as a platform to justify female dominance and superiority over men. These are twisted connotations.

If you believe men and women are equal, and that they deserve similar rights and opportunities as one another, and that all the stereotypical roles and characteristics associated with both genders are social constructs and not biological, then you too are a feminist. I am a feminist.