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Feminism is just about wanting equal rights. It is basically "hey can you treat us like human beings please?" The end.
Hey there! Are you someone who doesn’t know what feminism is and makes baseless assumptions? Well then this blog post can cut the crap and tell you what’s right.
Let’s begin with the phrases that do NOT summarise the meaning of feminism:
1) Oh so you’re a feminist – you’re a man hater for sure! 2) Well if you want equal rights that means I can hit women! 3) As a man I am afraid to speak because of this whole #MeToo thing. 4) What about men’s issues? We have problems too you know! 5) We don’t need all this feminism, it’s ruining our culture! 6) And lastly – the big bomb #notallmen
Honestly there are a million more I wanted to add but this isn’t a research paper! Read ahead y’all – this is gonna be a long post that calls out these stereotypes.
Let’s use the logic of #notallmen here. We don’t hate ALL men, just the ones who believe that women don’t deserve equal rights and the ones who kill women because they hurt your precious little ego. If you are someone who reduces an entire ideology into one meaningless statement – chances are you’re not very well liked by women.
Yes there are women who are all “ugh men are trash” every two minutes and they are called Misandrists. Terminology is everything.
First off, hitting anyone is a crime and you’ll be charged with assault and battery. So if you think being a feminist means you can hit women, you definitely need to see a therapist because your thought process needs to seriously be analysed by a medical professional.
While the MeToo movement exposed many problematic men for their actions and finally held them accountable, this wasn’t good news for all. Some men fear now that even a simple remark by them might be mistaken, even if it was harmless.
If you are someone who feels “afraid” to speak in a room full of women, ask yourself this – “why am I afraid if what I am saying is totally harmless?” So yeah if you are the one who feels targetted, maybe you should analyse why your statements are problematic.
Not exclusive to only feminism, this concept is seen across all major political issues. If you truly care about men’s issues, awesome! You still qualify as a feminist, and go talk about it in your space. But, if you only bring it up when women talk about their issues – you never cared about men’s problems either.
And side note: men’s problems regarding the taboo of “being manly” and “real men don’t cry” also arose from the patriarchy so you really should be on our side here.
All cultures have traditions and while that should be respected, what shouldn’t be accepted is the idea that you oppress women under the guise of tradition.
‘Culture’ was something that was created 1000s of years ago and the world has evolved since then, so it’s high time your thinking should evolve too.
To be fair, I am fuming as I write this because of course we know it’s not all men! But we don’t know which men are bad so why even take the risk?
Think of it this way: If you almost drown in the ocean and develop a phobia of water bodies, saying #notallmen sounds like telling someone afraid to get into water “Aye but this is a swimming pool, not an ocean so why are you scared?” It’s still water.
Similarly, we aren’t scared of all men but we have to protect ourselves from everyone regardless.
Feminism is just about wanting equal rights. It is basically “hey can you treat us like human beings please?” The end.
So how to not be a misogynist? It’s real simple: 1) Respect Women. 2) Do not blatantly dismiss what we say 3) Never ever assume we are on our period or are being hysterical.
Yes while all these points are common sense, it’s crazy how we have to explain this even today. One can eventually hope that people understand the end goal of feminism, and realise that it’s not a “man hating movement”. Till then to all the women out there: Do no harm, but take no shit!
Sincerely – An angry and tired feminist
Published here first.
Image source: a still from the film Hichki
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Women today don’t want to be in a partnership that complicates their lives further. They need an equal partner with whom they can figure out life as a team, playing by each other’s strengths.
We all are familiar with that one annoying aunty who is more interested in our marital status than in the dessert counter at a wedding. But these aunties have somehow become obsolete now. Now they are replaced by men we have in our lives. Friends, family, and even work colleagues. It’s the men who are worried about why we are not saying yes to one among their clans. What is wrong with us? Aren’t we scared of dying alone? Like them?
A recent interaction with a guy friend of mine turned sour when he lectured me about how I would regret not getting married at the right time. He lectured that every event in our lives needs to be completed within a certain timeframe set by society else we are doomed. I wasn’t angry. I was just disappointed to realize that annoying aunties are rapidly doubling in our society. And they don’t just appear at weddings or family functions anymore. They are everywhere. They are the real pandemic.
Let’s examine this a little closer.
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