Have we forgotten the roots of feminism?

Is Feminism aimed at undermining men? Does it imply female superiority?

One of the most used words in the past few years, ‘Feminism’, has also been one of the most misconstrued terms. It has a perceived notion that all men are the same, they are sexist. I feel that feminism eventually got dubbed as an anti-men movement. As the term feminism gained momentum, it was given new ideologies, and in this transition, did the core meaning of feminism get lost? Do you have to be a woman to support feminism?

The core of Feminism originated from equality of men and women, not superiority of either party. I am not someone who voices her opinions out loud but lately, I have observed certain things which caught my attention. Why is it made a big deal if someone supports feminism, i.e. equality between men and women? People shy away from being called a feminist. Is it wrong for a man to be in support of equality? Men might be getting fearful to support feminism, hence they choose to maintain silence in fear of being mocked and outcasted.

Earlier, misogyny was ingrained into our lives. It was normal for women to be treated unequally to men. Being mansplained, taking a backseat was the status quo then. But now, times are changing. Women are standing up for themselves, gaining as much status in life as a man and men are respective and proud of that. It is time to unlearn the old techniques of sexism.

On one hand, we tell a man to be respectful of this equality but on the other, he gets mocked when he expresses his views which aren’t as per a feminist’s views. If he takes a stand about the issues that women face, he’s assumed to be mansplaining. Feminism means equality, it doesn’t mean women’s superiority and that’s where I think that sometimes we stray away from the roots of feminism. I feel that some part of feminism isn’t about equality anymore, and somewhere it gets pushed towards an “anti-men” movement. It’s become an age of labels where one has to be a feminist or a misogynist.

Being a woman myself, I agree with the notion of feminism and why it is a dire need to gain complete hold of equality for women. However, in this quest, are we emasculating men? Are we depriving them of the equality we’re craving for? Lately, I feel there’s been a lot of aggression associated with feminism. It may have come to a point where men feel dissuaded to be identified as feminists. For them, being egalitarian may be much more comfortable. Being a feminist is not just for women, it is for everyone who supports equality.

In this struggle for equality, I feel women should also be respectful of a man who doesn’t speak up because he’s shy and intimidated by powerful and outspoken women. Equality will not be attained if you clap with one hand.

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