A few days ago, I had someone ask me, “why is it called feminism if it aims for equality?”So I did a bit of research and this is what I realized:Feminism first evolved as a concept in order to give women equal rights. It has never been about putting women above men or proving that any gender is better than the other. All feminism is trying to do is bring women to the same position of power as men, where they can enjoy equal opportunities and equal treatment.
Women are the sex that has faced an enormous history of oppression and still continue to be oppressed in a few big and several small ways.
They are judged and shamed when they do things that they want to do, their capabilities are constantly underestimated and their achievements continuously undermined, and they are always reminded that their bodies aren’t their own and society must dictate what they’re supposed to do with these bodies, (because God forbid they are ever viewed as anything more than objects). When stereotypes are enforced and crass jokes are made at the expense of women (and sometimes men), feminism tries to stand up for them.
Yes, it is true that the patriarchy harms men as well. And it is important to understand how. Men are told they cannot show an ounce of emotion because it isn’t manly to cry. They receive harsher punishments than women, even when they commit the same crime. Women can wear suits and ties and pants and look stunning and smart, but when a man wears a skirt he’s somehow no longer a man.
Why?
This is because society finds it degrading to be feminine or to possess even an ounce of feminine qualities.
Why?
Because women have forever been perceived as the weaker sex.Men’s washrooms never have baby changing stations, even though there are lots of single fathers and gay fathers and fathers who want to change their child’s diaper simply because.Men also generally don’t receive paternity leave.Why?
Because it is apparently the woman’s job to look after the children and the home, while men stay outside doing manly things, like tearing apart their enemies with their bare hands.
This is how the patriarchy affects men.
It is called feminism because it is the feminine traits possessed by a person that are condemned by society. Feminism aims at bringing up women and the feminine to the same position as men and the masculine.
Ladies first, men, please hold the door for women. Why? Because apparently, women are so inferior and so weak, they are incapable of doing this simple action for themselves.
This mindset of women being delicate, fragile flowers and men being strong, brave lions that have to protect the delicate flowers, needs to be destroyed to prevent the patriarchy from affecting both genders.
Don’t hold the door for me just because I’m a woman. Hold the door for me because I’m a person. Hold the door for me and for the men walking behind me, because you’re the first person to reach it and that’s just a nice thing to do.
Don’t go around beating up other men for the smallest of things and then not flinch when a women does something big because, “oh, I don’t hit women.” Don’t counter by saying, “if it’s acceptable for women to hit men, it should also be okay for men to hit women.” No! Nobody should hit anybody. Violence is never the answer. Dear women, if it’s wrong for women to be hit by men, why isn’t it wrong for men to be hit by women?
And dear men, if you don’t hit women, why do you hit men?
Everyone should be nice to each other regardless of their gender. See each other as people first, men or women second.
Feminism is associated with removing the stigma surrounding feminine characteristics, to stop using the word feminine in this context and simply saying characteristics, because men have emotions and women can be strong and fearless.
Men’s issues are extremely valid and important to talk about it.
But that doesn’t erase the fact that women have been the more oppressed sex.
I’m happy to talk about men’s issues at any given time. But if you bring up men’s problems simply to make me shut up about women’s problems, I will not listen.
It is called feminism because it is about bringing up, not tearing down.