Feminism.

Lets talk about feminism today.

Since my blog mostly comprises of things I’m passionate about, today, I’ll talk about one of the more serious things I believe in.I am a proud feminist and today I’ll be telling you why,along with clearing some of the air around feminism.

When I say ‘feminist’ the first image that comes to your mind is probably the rabid little subsidiary that has been created out of feminists, casually referred to as ‘feminazis’.They are,in case you are unaware the exact opposite of the patriarchal system, that is,they promote the female as the supreme gender and diss all men for being douchebags.They are quite a bunch, known for badmouthing,attacking,being narrow-minded and are actually quite widespread,especially on the internet,adding to the problem.They have created all this stigma around feminism,which at its core is nothing but a very simple belief which I will just elaborate for you.

True feminism is nothing but a belief in the equality of the two sexes.It is considering the male equal to the female and is the concept of having no supreme gender.It is not exactly anti-patriarchy as much as it is anti-sexism and just believing that everyone is created equal and that there is no divide between us.It is not considering anything to be a thing ‘boys’ do or a thing that is so ‘girlish’.It is not questioning the person’s gender with respect to what they want to do.It is being okay and letting a boy cry because he’s a human being and not reprimanding him for ‘crying like a girl.’It is letting a woman be educated,independent and let her earn for herself and not calling her out for it because that is a ‘man’s job’. It is letting a guy come out as an assault victim and not questioning him for not fighting back because he’s a ‘man’.It is not considering a female an ‘object’ to leer at and pass comments about.It really is just a belief in equality which is the most basic construct to believe in as a decent human being with a conscience.

Now,why this much of a fuss around it then? Partly because of the feminazism.Partly due to the name itself. Why ‘feminism’ and not something like ‘equalism’ if it is a belief in equality ,you ask? To that my first instinct would be to remind you that our entire species is referred to as ‘mankind’.The second would be,as Mr.Shakespeare has said,”What is in a name?” Thirdly,I’ll provide you with the logical reason for it. Most societies in today’s world have been patriarchal for ages.The women have had the shorter end of the stick for so long and simply need more uplifting and empowerment than men in most sectors.Even today,more women are catcalled on the streets than men are.More females are uneducated and the worldwide sex ratio is still unfavorable to women.So,while feminism aims at uplifting both sexes and bring them at the same level,since it will benefit women more, it has been called feminism.In all honesty, I don’t see the reason behind the big hullaballoo about it.

So,can men be feminists?Or are only females feminists? If you are a human being and you believe in the equality of the sexes, you pretty much already are a feminist. Unless you are sexist and consider the opposite sex to be below you and not worthy of the same human rights as you,you are a feminist.You may not like to hear that because of the controversy around being a  feminist these days.But that happens to be the truth.Take it the hard way or accept it now.Your choice.

Now,as to why I am a feminist?I have been and continue to be a witness to and on the receiving end of sexism .It angers and infuriates me and I want to bring about a change in the common notions society has about gender quality.I have respect for all people and do not believe in any divisions.In short,I’m a feminist because I believe in equality and respect for all.That’s all.

Here is a link to Emma Watson,the UN Goodwill Ambassador for Women and one of my idol’s powerfully enlightening  speech at the UN Assembly at the start of her movement against gender inequality, HeForShe. It for me represents what the actual ideals behind feminism are. All her pictures throughout my post are quotes from the same.

THIS POST’S QUESTION: Are you a feminist? Comment below with what you think about it,I’d love to hear from you!