“I'm very definitely a woman and I enjoy it.”- Marilyn Monroe. Since the establishment of civilization, the world has been different to men and women. Gender has colored the way we envision the world and the time has come to change that. It's time for women to embrace their femininity wholly instead of being apologetic for it.
Before we dig deeper, we must understand the concept of feminism. As writer Marie Shear famously wrote in 1986, "Feminism is a radical notion that women are people". Feminism has always been about the struggles and fights for the rights of a woman, all those things which come naturally to a man.
With the pervasive misogyny that seems to be getting more aggressive in this new hyper-masculine socio-political order, it becomes all the more essential to strive for feminism. Feminism is not as most misogynists put "Women fighting for more power than men" but women demanding equal status as a man. There are different kinds of feminism but all of them are more or less fighting for the same cause, Equality.
Time Has Changed
A thousand years ago, we lived in a world where physical attribute was the most important attribute for survival, so naturally, men led the world. But now the times have changed. We now live in a word were a more intelligent and innovative person is expected to lead and there are no hormones for these.
A man is as likely as a woman to work in any field and be successful. Women have proved to take better decisions because of their emotional stability and critical thinking while men usually make rash decisions to prove their power.
Feminism Demands Equality, Not Superiority
We've been living in a patriarchal society since forever, where a man's needs are always put ahead of a woman. Now that the world is becoming more and more aware, people have started to realize that gender as it functions today is a grave injustice.
Demanding equal status and opportunities for women has led some men to think as suffering and oppression on their kind themselves for they've always been taught to embrace their superiority and masculinity. Their ideas of feminism have led them to believe that women want to become superior which is far off from the truth.
Feminism Includes All
Feminism is not just about raising your daughters differently but also raising your son differently. While teaching your daughter to aspire and chase her dreams no matter what, teach your son it’s okay to be vulnerable. You should teach your daughter to be unapologetic for her femininity and teach your son that he doesn't need to prove his masculinity.
Men are constantly reminded to hide their feelings and emotions to prove their masculinity leaving them with fragile egos and then women are taught to cater to those fragile egos while shrinking their own needs and dreams. Also, girls should not be taught to envision marriage as their ultimate goal, while boys should be taught to hold equal responsibility in a marriage.
Gender Does Not Define Us
Since their childhood, young girls are taught about being the ideal homemaker and a perfect wife. Women are expected to do all household chores while men just reap the benefit of their invisible labor. A woman who doesn't know how to cook is instantly looked down upon while a man not being able to cook is just assumed to be working very hard to make his career.
Ironically, not even being able to fend yourself without the help of a woman doesn't exactly prove why men are superior. A working woman should hold only as much responsibility as her working husband in maintaining the household.
Conclusion
The idea of feminism is subjective but has the same core. Every woman has a right to be herself. Women are not demanding power over men; they are demanding a share in it. Every person who says "I'm not a feminist, rather I support gender equality" is just ridiculing himself for feminism is a fight for gender quality.
Any male being threatened by a woman to take his power did not deserve it in the first place or as Emmeline Pankhurst put it, "We have to free half of the human race, the women so that they can help to free the other half."
Written By - Riya Chhikara
Edited By - Vaibhav Sharma
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