Many of us become alarmed on hearing the word 'feminism'. Until recently I did not know where I stood in the feminist paradigm. Now that I better understand the term and its importance, I will delve into why feminism is a word people hesitate to use. I also want to assert that it should be part of our everyday lexicon and practice, a belief Kimberly (2014) eloquently puts: "I want to live in a world where my children, at a young age use the F-word."Feminism is a movement to end oppression of women. It uses the experiences and perceptions of women to build strategies to overcome oppression. Most people see this just struggle as an anti-male campaign. That is a fallacy. Feminism also carries political goals oriented toward gender equality. Albeit the goals are rational and necessary for a society where each individual, regardless of sex, enjoys equal rights and privileges, feminism has long been a highly misunderstood, and thus dreaded, word.
Kamla Bhasin, a renowned feminist activist and social scientist with over 35 years of engagement in issues related to gender, development, education and media, agrees that feminism is a difficult 'ism' as it concerns and questions the household and everyday living and warns people against labeling themselves feminists. She firmly believes that gender equality, and not matriarchy, is the opposite of patriarchy and that gender equality is but a fight between mindsets and not between men and women.
Feminism has been around for two centuries, advocating equality of sexes through supporting equal opportunity for men and women, and equal pay for equal work. There are many branches of feminism: Marxist Feminism, Liberal Feminism, Cultural Feminism, Eco Feminism, Radical Feminism, Multi-Cultural and Global Feminism. Like the branches, feminists have different priorities and goals and they may agree to disagree, but feminism at its core believes that men and women should be equal—politically, economically and socially. This message is not clearly communicated by the media, therefore creating the need for a careful portrayal of feminism.
The media has a formidable influence in reinforcing stereotypes, and the feminist stereotype is no exception. In addition to highlighting disagreement among feminists, the media depicts feminists as "puritanical, man-hating, lesbian or butch, taking unfair advantage of men in the workplace, and controlling men in their homes. College students who identify themselves as 'non-feminists' believe many of these stereotypes" (Blackwell et al., 2003). Given the power of the media to construct gender roles, it is difficult for young women and men who may identify with feminism in principle to do so in public. Much has been discussed about how media shapes public opinion and it is intriguing that sexist comments are still acceptable in entertainment and news media. That needs to change.
Feminism fights sexism. It is, in essence, a movement towards equality of all individuals and removal of discrimination based on sex; sexism doesn't benefit anyone, equality does. In Why Equality is Better for Everyone, Richard G. Wilkinson and Kate Pickett (2010) argue that there are "pernicious effects that inequality has on societies: eroding trust, increasing anxiety and illness, (and) encouraging excessive consumption." The authors claim that for each of eleven different health and social problems—physical health, mental health, drug abuse, education, imprisonment, obesity, social mobility, trust and community life, violence, teenage pregnancies, and child well-being—outcomes are significantly worse in more unequal countries, whether rich or poor.
They conclude that the societies that do best for their citizens are those with the narrowest income differentials—such as Japan and the Nordic countries. Although the authors focus on income inequality in this book, inequality in every sense is detrimental to the larger society, making it crucial that each of us support equality for everyone, are aware of and actively participate in attaining the goals of the F-movement.
The Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, who has a large following among young people of the world, in his discussion on gender parity at World Economic Forum in Davos stressed on the importance of gender equality and called on men and women to embrace feminism to improve decision-making in politics and business. Trudeau said, "We shouldn't be afraid to use the word feminist. Men and women should use it to describe themselves whenever they want."
Trudeau's call raises my hopes for feminism, but Bhasin's warning also echoes in my head. But what I am convinced about is that we will all be happier in a world where each human being has dignity and worth. And feminism's central tenet carries the same message. So I might as well call myself a feminist. It is necessary that we understand feminism and include this f-word in our everyday lives, so that we may get closer to living its truest essence: equality for all.
The author is researching 'Change in Gender Relations in Nepalese migrants in Portugal' as a Masters student at the University Institute of Lisbon, Portugal
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Feminism is about treating everyone equally
