Let’s talk about feminism.
Now, before you roll your eyes and internally scream, just hear me out.
Recently, the whole “Women Against Feminism” movement has been growing. I myself spent quite some time reading the things these women had to say about the negative attitudes feminism seems to present. And I was horrified at the myriad of misconceptions.
Two things stuck out to me most. First, was this idea of feminists loathing men. Second, was the idea that, because this is now the 21st century, women no longer experience oppression. Thus, women have more opportunities than before, and feminism is no longer necessary.
I’ll start by addressing the first point.
Let me be clear in saying this: Feminists do not dislike men. Misandrists dislike men. Feminism and misandry are two very different things. Do not confuse them.
Misandry is the inverse of misogyny. Misandry is, by strict definition, the hatred of men. Misogyny is, by strict definition, the hatred of women.
Feminism, on the other hand, is the strive for equal opportunities politically, economically and socially. It is not about ignoring possible biological or physiological differences. It is not about emasculating males. It is certainly not about the idea of superiority.
Rather, the entire concept is about treating people as they are, as human beings who have so much potential to do great in the world. Feminism is about transcending differences so that they don’t hinder equal opportunities. It’s about taking a step forward in an effort to solidify the ideas of “inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family.” While The Universal Declaration of Human Rights does not specifically say this sentence for feminism, the core idea is the same: Treat human beings as fellow human beings, and help each other progress forward.
In fact, I would actually add that, because feminism champions equal rights and opportunities, the theory works for men just as much as it does for women. Regardless of sex, each person will experience, at some point, frustration with social roles and expectations. Feminism is about breaking these down to minimize the frustration. The hope is that one day, the injustices many people have to face now will be eradicated.
Taylor Swift sums it all up nicely: “As a teenager, I didn’t understand that saying you’re a feminist is just saying that you hope women and men will have equal rights and equal opportunities. … For so long it’s been made to seem like something where you’d picket against the opposite sex, whereas it’s not about that at all.”
The truth is, we have come a long way. Living now in a modern age, there has been a lot of change—a lot of liberalization of social norms. However, no matter how many advancements we’ve made as a society, there are still large gaps when it comes to political, economic and social opportunities between the sexes.
Now, though we do live in the 21st century, the situation in the United States is not exactly the situation across the globe. Specifically, I’m addressing one person’s point (in her Women Against Feminism post) regarding the idea that, because we are in the 21st century in the United States, feminism is a useless and even anachronistic theory. To that I say, feminism is not just a concept for inhabitants of first world countries. It is a general, global idea that champions the right for human beings to be treated with dignity and respect.
There are cases all over the world, within and without first world countries, of discrimination in classrooms, job-hiring and career-choosing. Regardless of the century and the areas in which we currently live, there are issues across the globe that range from ridiculous social expectations to harassment, sexual or not. Feminism is a theory that is applicable globally, and thus must be applied globally—these problems must be addressed, no matter where they occur. Just because there are improvements in one area of the world does not mean that the injustices across the world have been solved.
Feminism is a form of optimism in that it hopes for and promotes the progress of overcoming simple differences in the human race. Feminism is not misandry—it does not promote prejudice against men. Ingrained in the theory is the concept of advancement, equal rights and equal opportunities, despite seeming biological differences. Also, the fact of the matter is, feminism is just as necessary today as it was in the previous centuries. With more advancements in career and social opportunities comes more complexities in the questions we must address. An improvement in an area is not equal to a solution in an area. The struggle for equal rights for human beings is far from over.