Nowadays
there are lots of Indians who do not like to be associated with the most
dangerous F-word in the dictionary. Indeed, I’m writing about Feminism. These
people cringe at the mention of the word and deny ever having any association
with it. After-all isn’t feminism all about women hating men and trying to
become the supreme power in the world under the mask of pretentious equality? I
for one am neither ashamed nor afraid of it and proud to be a female and hence
a feminist.
Unlike countries in the West, India’s Feminist movement was
initiated by men and later joined by women. Our forefathers who had fought for
the freedom of our nation knew the importance of educating the women and
upholding their rights. As a result women started breaking out of the shackles
imposed on them and also played a major role in India’s Freedom Movement.
Unfortunately this feminist spirit in our countrymen eventually died out and a
majority of today’s men are sexist. That is why I believe that we need
Feminism. Real feminists do not want to rule over men. Real feminists do not
want to be the supreme power holders. Real feminists only want to co-exist in
the society with equal rights and equal respect. However in order to achieve the
Utopian idea of a peaceful co-existence, the men have to be supportive and
empathetic towards the women’s issues and not act like these issues do not
exist. The wage gap does exist. The rape culture and objectification also
exists. So does the practices of dowry, domestic violence and female foeticide.
Lots of people argue that Feminism is not a movement for
Equality because there isn’t a fair representation of the issues of all
genders. With all due respect I would like to disagree with that statement.
Feminists, for instance, coined the term rape culture. Every single day
innumerable women, trans-people as well as men become victims of rape. But the
victims are not the problem. Victims are NEVER the problem. The rapists, the
offenders are the problem and the offenders in this case happen to be men
almost all the time and these are the people the real feminists are up against.
Objectification of women also happens to be another issue which feminists keep
bringing up. Anti feminists retaliate by either saying that men are objectified
too or that women sign up willingly to portray those objectified roles. That is
true but once again they miss the basic point that the models and actors who
sign up for those roles, it’s their job, their work and source of income. The
directors, producers or music composers who create such low-quality work which
won’t survive a day without the skin show are the ones to be blamed and they
too mostly happen to be men; the sexist men feminists are against.
As a woman, it infuriates me when I realize that my life
would have been very different and much more privileged had I been a man. That
is exactly why I need feminism. Irrespective of my gender, I should have the
advantage of living life the way I want to and not be judged for it. And that
is going to be possible only when the society, especially the men changes their
attitude towards women and enable to create a world where all genders have
equal rights, responsibilities, duties and perks. Living in the city I must
admit that I have a much better lifestyle compared to women who are living in underdeveloped rural areas. Given the chance I would indeed like to
help in bringing all of them at par with us privileged urban girls so that we
can aim for an egalitarian society. A society which does not allow progress to a majority of its population is regressive. Let's not stay regressive. Let's try to achieve perfection.
