If a contest for the most controversial “F word” were to be organized – the word “Feminism” would be an undisputed winner.
In a society deeply plagued with patriarchal ideals, it is extraordinary, that a struggle for feminism still prevails.
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There is a general misunderstanding or a deliberate apathy towards the conceptual understanding of the word “feminism”. Some seem to be threatened by the idea of a hitherto servile woman being on the same pedestal, as the man, while the others choose to turn a blind eye towards the exploitation of women and other gender-based atrocities and purport “feminism” as a struggle for domination of the female over male.
But for the common understanding of the gentlemen and ladies reading this piece, Feminism is not rocket science, it is rather simple.
The most succinct definition of the idea is given by the Nigerian writer, C. Ngozi Adichie in her book “We should all be Feminists” her definition goes, “A feminist is a man or a woman who says, yes, there’s a problem with gender as it is today and we must fix it, we must do better. All of us, women and men, must do better.”
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The primary complaint against feminism is that it lacks inclusivity, structure and that these Feminists aspire to avenge all the wrongs that the “man” kind has inflicted upon the rest of the population throughout the ages. The Anti-feminist tirades are never-ending. It is frivolous how many A-list celebrities have been guilty of reverberating similar sentiments. For instance, When the former spice girl member, Geri Halliwell commented “It’s about labeling. For me, feminism is bra-burning lesbianism. It’s very unglamorous. I’d like to see it rebranded. We need to see a celebration of our femininity and softness.”
The statement is an exact representation of how deep-rooted and widespread this misconception around feminism is. It is seen as a bane to the institution of family, a death sentence for the modern man, a plague worse than the Bubonic.
What we fail to understand is that Feminism is as much about Man, as it is for a woman. It is a transversal of the boundaries of gender and sex. It is about the emancipation of women from the clutches of misogyny. There is no label, system, or barter involved in the attainment of an equal society that the Feminist movement envisions.
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Patriarchy is a detriment not only for women but also for men. The alienation of the man from not only his emotions but also his real self is a price that we pay for perpetuating unfounded misogynistic values in society.
Let me put it this way, In traditional Indian societies, Men are not only held responsible for raising multi-member families in the modern inflationary world but they are also placed at the receiving end of society’s many aspirations. There exists an idea about what a man “ought to be”. He should be rich, he should be stoic, he should be strong, anybody under 6ft would not qualify as a man and the list goes on. Now, how many men check all those boxes?
These irrational ideals have empirical consequences. According to an NCRB report, there were around 97, 000 cases of male suicide in India and the trend is only getting grim with every passing day.
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Men perpetuate not only exploitation of women but also their kinds by shouldering the vestiges of patriarchy which has been throwing all sorts of challenges to humanity. The modern phenomenon of reckless industrialization and capitalism is also a reflection of the patriarchal values onto the societal institutions. That is exactly what the “Eco-feminism” school of thought holds.
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Gender-based crimes do not have just the women as victims but according to the recently released NCRB data, 204 cases out of the total 21,605 reported cases of child rape in 2018 were that of a male child.
These are a few of the many pathoses that patriarchy has to offer. It is only in a fool’s paradise that someone would imagine, an equal and just society to proliferate in the absence of feminism. Tony Morrison encapsulates the essence of my position when she said “Women’s rights are not only an abstraction, a cause; it is also a personal affair. It is not only about us; it is also about me and you. Just the two of us.”
So don’t worry folks, Feminism is the safest “F-word” ever, and going by my prudent cost-benefit analysis, you would be a happier, more unproblematic version of yourselves when you turn into a feminist than being ignorant. Hoping to see you on the other side.
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