Has anyone ever told you to beware of feminists?
These are the reasons why we really need feminism
Even for those who do not know the term “feminism”, the ideology itself tends to cause a great deal of controversy in most societies. Almost all definitions of the word “feminism” or “feminist” boils down to one word that usually causes a ruckus. That word is “equality”.
Many find it rather audacious that men and women can ever be equal. It is not hard to see why this feeling is evoked when physically and biologically, men and women are very different. Feminist idealism, however, does not fixate on biological differences but rather, focuses on the fact that women are every bit as human as men.
A more concise word to replace that idea of equality is “equity”. The difference here is that equity is impartial, yet fair to all involved. It doesn’t focus on sameness, but rather, fairness and inclusion. Think of equity as someone saying “I am treating you this way, not because you are a woman or man, but because you are human with certain needs”. Ultimately, humans are all born without being asked and go through life knowing that we will die. Is that not enough to unite us?
Despite the universal struggle of the human condition, most cultures have created daily existence around various roles. Feminism is so shocking because it challenges what we have come to view as our normal roles in a society larger than ourselves. Nigeria, of course, is amongst this group due to its traditionally collectivistic culture. Collectivistic culture tends to place more importance to a group than to the individual; gender roles are seen as more important to society than the personal or individual sense of being.
Although it may seem radical, the different waves of feminist movements have all aimed to achieve freedom beyond gender roles. It should be understood that feminist movements are not a monolithic concept, but a series of different ideas protesting the norm of different times. Feminist scholars have categorized different feminist movements according to the period it occurred and the focus of the protest which ranges from legal and economic issues to sociopolitical concerns, sexuality, and reproduction (Gillis).
In Nigeria, the waves are akin to this with examples such as the Aba women’s riot, the movement for the girl child, family planning, social media waves against rape, harassment and violence against women (Tayo, 2018). For every kind of feminism (as with all ideas) there will always be supporters and opponents arguing about it. These arguments at their very core, tend to generally boil down to the need for equity in every society.
On another note, it is often incredible to see how misguided many can be about feminism and the changes it strives to see. A lot of this ignorance is seen on social media and in typical female media archetypes. Think about how common it is to see people argue blindly on Twitter or Instagram about inane questions, hypothetical situations and drastic (read: fallacious) ideas.
People who raise the issue of anatomy and sex do not see it as an ineffectual argument, but it is. Deciding that half of the human population should not have access to a full life based on gender would be humorous if it weren’t so absurd. What about the factors that are innate in all human beings? Every human being has needs and a range of intelligence, emotions, creativity, ambitions, goals and dreams. These and other intrinsic traits of every human deserves impartial access to living life to the highest capability.
One might easily notice that a large number of people who are angry or opposed to feminism often have a warped way of thinking about the ideology. There are those who believe that feminists are women who want to be men or women who hate men. Others base it solely on biological differences or cultural/traditional norms. It is the way we think and act that creates high functioning society; culture, as we know, is dynamic and constantly changing. “Culture does not make people, people make culture. If it is true that the full humanity of women is not our culture, then we must make it our culture” (Adichie, 2014)
There are also those who feel rather threatened by feminism because they believe it is a reversal of the treatment of men. That is to say, they think that feminism means treating men the same way men have universally treated women. Can you see why that would be a problem for some people? Of course, I am well aware that there are many women who make ineffectual arguments on the subject and are even opposed to feminism. But as earlier stated, ideal feminism is about finding equity and not avenging the unfairness of the patriarchy or debating on who should cook meals and the like.
Instead of indulging in those kinds of debates (which may be intriguing, but ultimately meaningless), consider the kind of mindset that feminism seeks to spread. Consider how the way you think, shapes who you are, leading to how you act and ultimately that interaction with the whole world. That’s how powerful an enlightened way of thinking can get. Ask yourself what you stand to lose or gain if we live in a world of equity. What does that say about you? There are so many social factors that determine the way we think and act (societal construct, the media, etc), but if every individual is just a little conscious of their biases and the reasons for them, there would be a difference in the world as we know it.
Bibliography:
Adichie, C. N. (2014). We should all be feminists. London: Fourth Estate.
Gillis, E. (n.d.). Feminist “Waves” and the Question of “Post-Feminism”. Retrieved October 7, 2019, from Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences website: https://www.smu.edu/Dedman/Academics/Programs/WomGenStudies/ScholarshipsandAwards/PastWinners/GillisEssay
Tayo, A. O. (2018, June 8). Pulse.ng. Retrieved October 2019, from Pulse.ng website: https://www.pulse.ng/gist/feminism-the-4-waves-of-advocacy-of-womens-rights-explained-in-1000-words/pjkt7qh
