I came across a post on Facebook a few days ago. It read “This is what modern Feminism looks like “ and it was a GIF of a woman spraying some pepper spray into the air ahead of her and then she ends up running into that same air and burns her eyes. I saw some Haha reactions to it too.
And it left me wondering why are feminists hated by our society ? What have created these misconceptions that Feminists are women who find every opportunity to hate on men ? And also ever so often why are feminists considered as drama queens seeking attention ?
We , both men and women have been living and observing this patriarchally conditioned psyche existing in our families , societies etc , which is why it is very easy to fall into the trap of a patriarchal mindset. Very often , you’ll even find women exerting patriarchal ideas into other people’s lives , simply because they’ve been conditioned and programmed subconsciously with years and years of patriarchal living and observance.
I’d like to shed some light upon what actual feminism stands for and how some people might have made you believe is anything other than that.
1. Feminism calls for equality and not superiority : Feminism began as a movement to fight for the equal rights for women. And nowhere in history has feminism had its agenda as getting superior treatment to women over men. Feminism means equality in both sexes, and not superiority of men over women and neither of women over men.
2. Feminists don’t hate men : This again is a very common misconception that feminists are anti men. No, we’re not. We love the men in our lives and we believe that men shouldn’t be treated any less than women are.
3. Feminism doesn’t believe in gender roles : In a typical household / or a marriage , it is expected out of a woman to be the care taker and a man to be the provider / breadwinner. Feminism shuns the idea of Gender roles. Both women and men can be providers and both can be care givers too, in a household / family / marriage setting. It’s absolutely alright for a woman to take the responsibility of providing for her family, and for a man to take the responsibility of the household. Remember the nursery school lessons – Father is the head of the family , mother is the caretaker of the family. No ! Father and Mother both are the heads of the family. Father and Mother both are the caretakers of the family.
These are primarily the top most factors that make feminism what it is.
So the next time you bash some feminist , pause and think for a while , and realize that feminism is not this outrageousness that believes in hating men and demands superiority for women over men. Feminism, in simple words is equal rights for Men and Women and the abolishment of discrimination based on gender !
