The idea of feminism is something that has always been the subject of controversy and condemnation (God knows why). Even today, most people identify feminists as rich, educated, frustrated, and overly passionate women who hate men and can’t stand women who wear lipstick; And think of feminism as much ado about nothing. After all, in a world where children are starving, countries are on the brink of war, and our land on the brink of destruction, concerns about women’s dress seem trivial and pointless. People see feminism as an overrated and unequal issue that needs to be ended. Even women are often hesitant to call themselves feminists. And yet the irony of the situation is that despite so many speeches, so many discussions, so many workshops, and so many YouTube videos, most men and women are blind to what feminism really stands for.
Feminism, in the simplest of worlds, is equality; equal rights, opportunities and, most importantly, choice. The sole goal of feminism is to achieve equitable representation not only for women, but also for men and the LGBTQ community.
Now the next big question that comes up is: Why feminism?
Why should feminism be prioritized in a world where world peace and sustainable development are the need of the moment? The meaning of feminism runs much deeper than most of us think. In fact, feminism must precede all other issues. Why? Malala Yousafzai once said, “We cannot succeed when half of us are held back.” Can you imagine the change the world will witness with twice the manpower, twice the effort and twice the contribution?
The importance of feminism does not end here. Human trafficking, rape, sexual assault, genital mutilation, domestic abuse, harassment in the workplace are some of the most serious problems that plague our society today. Arming women with knives, pepper spray, and self-defense training does not offer an adequate solution to these issues. We need to identify the root cause of these crimes. The answer to this is simple gender inequality. Crimes like these occur because most of the time criminals do not consider them as crimes, but as a right. From childhood they are taught that men are superior to women, and women are subordinate mothers, only suitable for motherhood and domestic work. They are led to believe that they have the right to dominate women and get away with such heinous crimes. Now, how is this going to end? The answer to this is also simple feminism. If the spirit of feminism is instilled in our younger generations in their early years of education; if they are educated believing that all sexes should be considered and treated equally; the world can witness incredible change.
In short, feminism is, after all, the need of the moment. We should not be ashamed to call ourselves feminists. In fact, by becoming feminists we are, in one way or another, contributing to the world. And as Emma Watson has said, “If you believe in equality and if you stand for equality, then you are a feminist. I’m sorry to tell you.”
