“Feminism isn’t about making women stronger. Women are already strong, it’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.” – G.D. Anderson
Feminism is a belief in the political, economic, and social equality of both the sexes, having its roots since the beginning of human civilization with quite a fascinating history, to say the least. Demarcated into three waves, the first wave of feminism dealt with the right to vote, along with property rights. Second-wave feminism was concerned with equality and anti-discrimination. The third and the last wave came as a backlash to the second wave, in the 1990s, on privileging the white, straight women.
Now, to make it clear early on, feminism has got nothing to do with hating or belittling men out there. How is asking for EQUAL benefits and rights as the opposite gender been translated into a negative connotation? Why are problems of one gender compared to that of another, when both can co-exist and be resolved together? It’s always been about equality – never about superiority.
Feminism is just as much about not ridiculing a man for wanting to do jobs portrayed as feminine by our society as it is about not mocking women for, say, serving in the army or leading the country (FYI: women-led nations are doing better with Covid-19).
Perhaps some might say that reservations and other health-related benefits [given to women and girls] are contrary to what one would call equality. But equality is a tricky concept, isn’t it? With centuries of atrocities against women and treating them below men, they’ve been put into a disadvantageous position – not to let go of the fact that these atrocities still take place; a true and fair upliftment would involve these aids, only then equality will practically make sense. But this logic is so hard for some airheads to comprehend.
As per a study conducted by the UN, it is estimated that about 60% of chronically hungry people are women and girls. In a similar study, it was claimed that women make up more than 2/3rd of the 796 million illiterate people in the world. According to WHO, at some point in their lives, between 15% and 71% of women around the world have suffered some form of physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate male partner. Also, 1 in 5 women has been sexually abused before the age of 15. The above-mentioned data is very recent, which point-blank brings us to the conclusion that this problem is just as grave, if not more.
This movement is and has always been about breaking gender stereotypes too. Be it the stereotype of women having to forego work to focus on the family because ‘someone should’, or that women shouldn’t be expressive of their sexuality, or even something as small as expecting women to possess emotional intelligence whereas praising men with the slightest of empathy.
So, to answer the age-old question “Why feminism?”; because we still feel unsafe walking alone at night; because a girl is raped every 15 minutes in our goddess-worshipping country; because harassment or domestic violence is no joke, it does exist and is as rampant as ever; because we always need to do double the work to get the same amount of recognition; because you might be the privileged one but there are a zillion others who aren’t, and need this movement. And well, the list goes on and on.
Feminism has made this world a little better, and it has the potential to make it a lot better, we didn’t stop then and we’re not stopping now. Slowly, but surely, we will get there.
Author – Jagriti Vij, Illustrated by – Rishabh Aggarwal
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