Sumbul Asim
Feminism is a term that is misconstrued in our society. It is defined as “the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of sexes”. ‘Equality of sexes’ means both men and women should get equal rights and benefits. Its main purpose is to eliminate gender discrimination from society, not to prioritize women over men.
Discussing the history of feminism one gets to know that there are four waves of feminism. 1st wave of feminism was the first real political movement for the women of the Western World. But before that feminist ideals appeared many times and raised voices for specific issues. For instance, in 1792 Mary Wollstonecraft published a revolutionary vindication of women’s rights. The 1st wave of feminism specifically focuses on the basic rights of property and the right to vote. This wave is associated with an event when 200 women had a gathering in church and came up with twelve resolutions asking for specific rights. Its main purpose was to teach society about the fact that women are humans, not property.
During 1960s-80s, was the 2nd wave. It was the inspiration for the Civil Rights Movement. The feminists emphasized women’s role in society and questioned the traditional gender roles. Then comes the 3rd wave which raised the concept of intersectional. It challenged white women’s feminism and asked for the rights of women disregarding the race or color. It says there should be no discrimination either based on gender or color. It raised the notion of gender equality based on the importance of diverse perspectives. Many people believe that feminism has completed its work and is no longer necessary. However, the fact is that feminism will be needed until everyone understands the value of each individual and respects them regardless of gender.
Although people today have higher levels of education compared to the past, there are still individuals who misunderstand the purpose of feminism and are unaware of its true meaning. It means there should be a separate section of women in buses, trains and other public transport, keeping in view their respect and dignity. But it doesn’t mean that men are supposed to offer women their seats. It means there should be a specific quota allotted to women in the educational system, and offices as well as in the political system of state. But it doesn’t mean that women are given the right to insult and disrespect men. This is a great misconception that feminism is anti-men. No, it’s not, rather its purpose is to give women their deserving status and promote the concept that “human rights are women’s rights”, in society.
Individuals also think that feminism is only about women’s rights. This is also a misconception. It doesn’t only deal with women’s rights but also plays a major role in women’s issues their security and awareness among people. The next misconception that needs to be eliminated is, that people think that feminists are radical and hate traditional gender roles. Not everything is as it seems. All the feminists don’t believe in a radical approach, they just want an independent approach for all the women to choose between traditional and non-traditional roles. Their demand is freedom of expression and selection for women worldwide. Like men, they are equally capable of making informed choices. They deserve equal rights in all aspects of life whether they want to be a working lady or a stay-at-home partner.
Some individuals think the feminist approach is only for the privileged, but there’s more beneath the surface. In discussions, feminists also address the needs of oppressed communities, including women of color and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. These women are often suppressed by the conservative perspective of men. They aren’t allowed to step out of their houses without men’s permission. That’s why they may not be the part of Feminist Rally but feminism still consults to such groups of society.
There are many other misconceptions like feminists are anti-family, feminism is only for women and feminists want to dominate men. But waters run deep. Feminists are not against the family-building concept or motherhood. They advocate for choices and want people to respect them. They admire motherhood and recognize the struggles women face in being mothers. Motherhood isn’t just a role but a superpower and everyone should value that. Also, feminism is not only for women and feminists are not against men. They just want men to value and respect women, and treat them like they wanted to be treated in this society.
Primarily, it raised the issues regarding women but with time it is addressing intersectional issues and benefits everyone regardless of gender. It’s about creating a more just and equitable society where no one dominates another based on gender. It is necessary to understand they feminism isn’t about elevating one gender over another. It’s simply about embracing everyone’s decisions and choices regardless of gender. It encourages inclusivity, respect and empowerment. With time, people are becoming more educated about respecting everyone’s boundaries and space, irrespective of gender.
However, there are still people who are anti-feminist, and such individuals pose a significant challenge to feminist ideals. Moreover, in this developing era, where technology is ruling the world, it has become challenging to reduce cyber crimes. Artificial Intelligence is dominating the globe. It’s very advantageous but at the same time, it’s proven to be a devastating evil. The increasing culture of pornography, nudity and sexually explicit media has become increasingly challenging for feminists, as it often conflicts with their efforts to promote gender equality.
Besides that, some individuals still believe in gender norms and stick to their stereotypes. It’s quite a big challenge to break stereotypes of such people and teach them about the basic principle of ‘freedom of expression’. Also, people are misunderstanding feminism and it has become hard to disprove their beliefs and concepts. It’s very crucial to mentor such people that feminism’s fight for equality is far from over but one that benefits everyone.
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