How Feminism Doesn’t Mean Acknowledging Men Less
Feminism. We all can agree it is one of the most debatable topics of the country from a long time now. Or should I say, of the world. Some argue that feminism is simply a means to establish female superiority. Many favour the principle, but not the methods and feminist strategies. Some proudly support the movement and some downright reject it. But does feminism really mean acknowledging men any less? Why does this word have so many interpretations in the modern world?
According to Oxford dictionary,
Feminism- The belief and aim that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men; the struggle to achieve this aim
Why all this backlash!
Feminism, theoretically is nothing about establishing female superiority, to which most us agree. But the ways feminism is practiced, is criticized heavily by not only a lot of men, but many women too. What might be the reasons? Well, there are two sides two this story- 1. Many fringe feminist groups take it too far, by not only demeaning men, but also blaming them, in general for many evils in our society. Some extremists also indulge in violence against men, which does become a major distraction from the real issue that is being fought for. 2. Also, many men are not willing to open their hearts to the idea of women having equal liberty. They believe in male superiority, because- that’s the way it has always been.
How feminism doesn’t mean acknowledging men less
People who preach feminism, in general, which is nowhere near forcing men into submission; aren’t they advocating for equal rights? Let’s face it, gender inequality is a prevailing issue in India. Does wage gap not exist in workplace? Do women inherit as much property as their male siblings? Is dowry non-existent? Do you really believe patriarchy and toxic masculinity doesn’t subsist anymore? Think hardly before you deny any of this.
It’s completely agreeable that we have come a long way as far as women empowerment is concerned. But are we there yet? Absolute equality is still a distant goal. But this is not where the real issue lies. Most of our fellow millennials and Gen-Z are supportive when it comes to raising a voice against all the above mentioned. The real problem arises when it comes to being whoever women want to be like. This is where many people argue that women have taken it too far, and can often come off as brash. But think of it this way- Isn’t it better for everyone if they didn’t feel pressurized to behave a certain way because of their gender? Sometimes you need to take a stance, loud and clear. Suffrage Parade and the Berlin Wall Protests taught this well.
Ask yourself a thing, can you deny an entire movement that openly vouches for equality, only because of some zealots? We can’t just go on disliking an issue, when our disgust is simply an exaggerated version of unfortunate happenings. Patriarchy, sexism against women- still exist in our society, even among the younger ones.
In Conclusion
Men must also acknowledge that they are indeed born with special privileges than their female counterparts, all thanks to patriarchy. Everyone should realise that attaining equality is a two-way process. Feminism has nothing to do with acknowledging men any less. Men, women, trans- all the genders are equally responsible to make a society a place worth living. Nobody wants men to vanish off the face of earth and degrade to dust, if someone fears this. Also, only since past few years, this issue has gained momentum. Hence, it becomes extremely important for both, men and women, to understand what they are actually opposing or supporting. Don’t just follow the herd and their ideology because it is convenient.
