10 Ways In Which Feminism Is Misunderstood

Feminism is very similar to that movie that everyone claims to understand while they actually don’t. There are several misconceptions that go around regarding the ideology of feminism.

If you don’t know what feminism is, you must know what it isn’t. Following are the ways in which feminism is misunderstood in India:

1. “He for She”. Several misinformed people believe that “he” should stand up for “she” and protect her at all times

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Little do they know that “she” does not require a “he” to feel safe. “She” wants to be recognized as someone who can fight her own battles, and thus be treated as an equal.

 

2. “Anti-Men”- feminism, contrary to what people believe, is not anti-male

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It aims to have equality of gender for everyone, and it starts with uplifting the gender that has been more oppressed socially.

 

3. It is not only men who require introspection

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No! We are not kidding; simply because it’s high time for women to start looking at each other as fellow team members and not competitors.

 

4. Equality – A two-sided coin. Feminism stands for equality and it is as much “pro-men” as “pro-women”

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Gender bias and sexism go both ways and don’t be surprised if a few men’s right activists demand equality in the name of feminism.

 

5. Equality and Incentives DO NOT go hand in hand

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There are cases where women express their demand for equality, but bring up the ‘woman’ aspect when it seems convenient to them. This is nothing but a misinformed notion of what it means to be equal. However, like the situation given in the image above, there is nothing wrong with a woman expressing what she wants, even if it might be considered traditionally gender specific. The thing to keep in mind is, does it establish gender roles of any kind? If not, then it’s okay.

 

6. Gross generalization

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All men are not the same- they believe in equality as much as women do. In the case of sexism that prevails, punish the man responsible; not the gender. And yes, men will be equally ashamed of the responsible man’s behaviour.

 

7. Misuse of Laws. If one misuses all the laws meant for the protection of women, one is indirectly mocking the real victims of dowry and rape, which goes pretty much against the ideology of feminism

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After the infamous 2012 Nirbhaya incident, the RAPE laws in India are stricter than ever before. 73% fake rape cases in the year 2013 and the ever increasing false dowry cases are a proof that these laws are being largely misused.

 

8. Female domination

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Some people believe that the feminist movement aims to establish a female dominance in the world while feminism in its true sense aims to establish a world where no gender supersedes the other. This needs to be largely understood.

 

9. Men can be feminists too

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Yes, you read that one correctly. Your gender doesn’t dictate whether you can be a feminist or not. It’s about gender equality, after all.

 

10. Myth about feminism – a divide and rule mechanism. People often believe that feminism creates differences among men and women and divides the society

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This is far from reality. In fact, feminism involves making the world a place with no gender roles, where no gender poses a threat to the other. Where men and women co-exist as equals. Where it is okay for a woman to open the door for a man, just as it is for a man to open the door for a woman. Where they compliment each others’ work and work together to build a better society.

Whatever happened to “Be the change you want to see in the world?”

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