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The post examines as to why the #MeToo movement took so long to reach India and how it should be inclusive in the true sense.
The #metoo movement celebrates it’s anniversary but it reaches India only now. It is therefore befitting to to take a critical look at global feminism.
If you look from the western perspective, as I did so far, you would see media channels marked by debates on equal rights, sexualized violence as an omnipresent subject and the feminist discourse. The revolution is widespread, you might think, but, unfortunately it isn’t the case. The #metoo celebrates it´s anniversary and yet the debate is reaching India only now. Why is that?
Feminism, what exactly does that mean? It largely means equality between the sexes. And of course, it is something worth striving for.
Basically, it also implies to lift categorizations and to work towards an egalitarian society. So what’s the problem? The new feminist cyber movement, triggered by #metoo is largely confined to a specific group of people- White, western, heterosexual women. As much as one may enjoy the developments so far, they should also be critical because a very large proportion of the affected lot was left out. It ought to be about women worldwide, women of color, homosexual women, trans women, women without access to the Internet, women living in societies dominated by much more primitive sexism.
Now, #metoo finally became a thing in India, but did you recognize, this whole debate started about a year ago? White, European, heterosexual women remain a minority who remain discriminated against. But, just as Sojourner Truth did almost two centuries ago, many people today could ask symbolically: \”And ain\’t I a woman?\” Double minorities are always exposed to double discrimination. And as a result, in this feminist discourse, they have completely disappeared so far. Hence, it took one year for India to benefit from the #metoo debate.
What is happening is important and good, but not enough.This is not a whataboutism. But a loud, worldwide call to involve intersectional minorities more. Any women’s quota has brought nothing to the average middle-class woman, who will never work in a leadership position.So, #metoo needed an entire year to reach the southern hemisphere. Most feminists have properly identified capitalism as the source of racism and sexism, but aren´t we not part of the problem if a whole feminist wave benefits only the winners of this economic system?
The world is currently on the edge, social disparities are widening, climate change threatens to become the hangman of humanity, and the social center is slipping to the right. But in one respect, something seems to be moving. The women’s movement is blossoming again. This is a reason to be joyful. But, it also should make us become even more alert. If the focus remains as one-sided as it has been, it will not move outside the barriers of capitalism, its source, and thereby support it. And by that, it becomes part of the actual problem.
So, to all the fighters out there- It is important to reach out to everyone affected and to include their problems because national emancipation is exclusionary and does not serve its own purpose at all. And especially in India, a country with an enormous population and also with huge social disparities, it is even more important to remember that. There are many strong, independent and empowered women out there. But, at the same time, we still find girls getting raped and killing themselves . Let us include all the survivors and make the #metoo movement a success in the right sense.
Image Source: Pixabay
Born and raised in Berlin, Germany, Livia is a convinced feminist and passionate traveler who loves to write. After speding a long time in India, she started writing for the women´s web. read more...
This post has published with none or minimal editorial intervention. Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
It is shameful that in today's world too, women are abused and even killed for giving birth to a girl, and the infant's life is also of no value.
Trigger Warning: This deals with domestic violence, suicide, and violence against women, and may be triggering to survivors.
I am so glad that the esteemed courts are now giving the much-required verdicts regarding certain ideologies that were not at all entertained earlier. I mean we all have studied this much biology at our school level and it is our duty (our generation) to educate our elders about it.
Why someone have to lose a life to bring such awareness to the society. Delhi High Court gave this judgement concerning a case that filed by the deceased daughter’s parents against her in-laws. She committed suicide as she was harassed and tortured for dowry and giving birth to two daughters.
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