The F word

The F word

Feminism. A word that never ceases to create controversy every time it is uttered. But what exactly is it? If you were to simply look at the dictionary definition of the word, it would be described as:

The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.

There are of course different ways feminists go about achieving this goal, with liberal feminists using the systems already in place to fight for equality while radical feminists advocate for a radical restructuring of society where systems that oppress do not exist. Their means to achieve these goals may differ depending on which strand of feminism you follow but in any case, it does all come down to one common goal, that is, for women to not be persecuted or limited on any grounds due their sex.

Then why exactly does this benign notion cause so much outrage?

A cursory glance through any comment section under any article discussing women’s right or reading any news at all or engaging in social media activity would make it abundantly clear that there is vehement disagreement today among people (both men and women) around the world about the status and importance of equality. Most of the disagreement regarding the issue boils down to a few simple reasons:

• People might feel we’ve already arrived at equality for men and women.

• People may believe in equal rights but find “feminism” a word too strong to describe their political associations

• People who haven’t personally faced discrimination often doubt that it happens whereas if those who have experienced it know beyond doubt that it exists.

Each of these reasons warrants a separate post explaining them but the fact of the matter is that sometimes the extreme disagreement on the subject may just be a problem of ideology rather than of values. What I mean is (and this is an extremely important requirement), if you’re a decent enough person, empathy and equality shouldn’t be hard concepts to grasp. So in this case, how can you gain a deeper understanding of where you personally stand on the issue of equality?

Perhaps start by asking yourself a few questions:

Do you believe that women and men deserve equal rights and equal opportunities? If not, why not, specifically?

Do you oppose the idea that every human being on the planet deserves equal rights and equal access to all opportunities? If you oppose it, what are you concerned will happen if equality is achieved?

Do you believe that only certain groups of people should be allowed to have access to certain opportunities and rights? If so, which groups should be favored and granted this access, and who should decide that?

Do you believe that it would be inherently fair to grant women access to only partial rights while men have full array of other rights and opportunities?

What or who do you think has shaped your ideas? Who in your social circle influences your beliefs today? What values does this person hold any do you admire them?

Maybe if you were to answer these questions honestly and get to a deeper understanding of your values, you would realize that perhaps that you have a lot more in common with people you might have otherwise thought to be completely against.