Feminism-A general outlook

If there is something which has gained lots of momentum, support and has divided even the best of minds in the recent years is the debate on feminism. This topic has gained a  lot of popularity in the recent years  and every person has his own opinion about it . Most importantly, this topic is considered to be a double-edged sword and people signing in to express their views in public are considered to be putting foot in their mouth.

Why is there a horrific response given to a topic like feminism whose  purpose is equality for all? Isn't it supposed to be a really simple topic on which we can have open discussions about without getting irked? Sadly, it is not.

Yes, the sole objective of feminism is to give equal rights and an equal pay to both men and women without any discrimination. But this is just a definition that has been coined and  accepted at a superficial level. But there are types of people who believe in 'types of feminism'.  Fascinating right? Well.....not quite.

There are three types of  beliefs or rather three kinds of people we find when we try to start a conversation about this topic. 

1. Feminism=Man hating:
This is something really disturbing which has to be addressed. Many women (pardon me, but this is a fact) think men to be a burden in the society. They feel that men always have an upper hand in everything (well, in some cases it is true, but not always) and even blame their personal failure as something caused intentionally by a man. They are also against any success achieved by a man.

 If someone really supports the practice of misandry and is under the false impression that women are always superior, then I am sorry, your lens is flawed and you are behaving exactly like a misogynist. 

These are the people who think themselves to be the pioneer of revolution, proclaim themselves to be the messiah of the female race and crown themselves as the leader of the feminist movement. What these people don't realise is they are putting the entire feminist movement down and are putting the efforts of people truly striving for equality for a toss.

2.Casually using the word anywhere without knowing its meaning:
This is also something very common which is seen in youngsters in general. Many -a-times, they get fascinated by the word for some reason and decide to incorporate it in their daily conversations. 

If switching words inadvertently and using hard words occasionally  to appear 'cool 'in the friend's circle is being done, it will have a grave impact on their understanding levels, and people will never feel like learning more.

But comparatively, this isn't quite a major problem. It can be solved by intervening at the right time, teaching them the proper usage of such words and educating them as to where and where not to use those words.

3.People who don't believe in the concept of feminism itself:
This is a really dangerous group of people. Few people with such beliefs put out their thoughts in such a convincing manner that for a second even we believe their thoughts and question our ideologies.

These are the people who think that it is not necessary for a woman to work outside. They believe that working is a man's job and serving the family and catering to the needs of the family is a woman's job. They can't accept roles being switched and aren't even interested to give it a try.

These are the biggest hypocrites of the lot. They always say that they worship women- treat them as Goddesses, but they are the ones who curtail the freedom of a woman and always blame her.

It is said that too many cooks spoil the broth. Similarly, too many opinions dilute the gravity of the situation; the subject starts to feel repetitive, boring and unimportant. Rallies hold no significance in the eyes of a common person; for him it is just another group of people bickering about their bad days. 

In such a situation, it is important to make sure that the topic doesn't reach a level of exhaustion. It is important to understand that people's opinions are shaped based on their surroundings, their upbringing and the situations they were exposed to in a young age. Experiences shape a person. Opinions influence them. Keeping this in mind, we should tread the path carefully; should ensure that the idea gets conveyed properly without offending anyone.

Feminism just doesn't mean fighting for equality of men and women. It also means to celebrate the differences that exist between them. Feminism just corresponds to inclusivity; its sole purpose is to make people understand the concept of equality in inequality. 

 A true feminist acknowledges the differences between a man and a woman and fights for equality in places where it is required. He knows that it is not possible to be equal in all manners. He knows where to draw the line. He knows the cause for his fight and to which extent it is applicable. He doesn't have half-baked arguments, he stands firm on his opinion without getting influenced.

"A man and a woman can never be equal." A man goes by logic, a woman goes by emotion. A man is physically strong, a woman is mentally strong. If these differences don't exist, then the idea of feminism itself would be baseless and our society will lose its true beauty.

 The day we look at at both the genders not as two extremes, but as a spectrum is the day when feminism will achieve its true glory.

                                                            - Anusha Sridhar

(P.S This is solely based on my opinion and my intent is not to hurt anyone's views. This is based on my observations and is my take on the topic. The places where the masculine gender is used is even applicable for the feminine gender. No offence intended to anyone.)