Okay. So my question of the day is simply, how do you draw the line between someone who is a feminist and someone who is an egalitarian? By definition:
feminism: the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.
egalitarianism: equality for all people. All humans are equal in fundamental worth or social status.
For the past couple of months, I have been carrying myself around claiming to be a feminist for so long that I began to question why. What does it mean to be a feminist? Why do people ask if someone is a feminist, I mean don’t we all want equality for all people?
Studying the cultural and historical background of women, feminism was a movement that developed during an era where women rights did not exist. Examples of this would be during early 20th century where women lacked the right to vote or the right to the control over their body (voluntary reproduction/motherhood). However times have changed and the success of women suffrage in 1920 or the legal practice of birth control in the 40s altered the dynamics between men and women. Is it fair to say feminism holds a similar meaning today than it had been 100 years earlier?
This is where the term modern feminism comes in. You have probably seen (and fell in love with) the Dove or Cover Girl campaigns or commercials that display women empowerment and gender equality but have you taken the chance to reevaluate what feminism means in modern society and whether it should even exist? Does a sense of pity come with the meaning? Why are the majority female supporters?
In support of my previous argument, feminism is a term that advocates women rights under the circumstances that these rights do not exist, hence the women’s rights movement. In today’s society however, women have grown to hold the same privileges as men. So when I call myself a feminist, do I admit that rights between the two genders are still inequitable? I mean, I don’t really hear the question, are you a masculinist? around school. And yeah, that is a word.
To my opinion, the term feminism changed in a way that calls on the attitudes driven toward women, which nowadays are unsurprisingly negative. Women have the right to serve in politics, to earn equal pay, to become –body builders. However in a subconscious deceiving level these rights, while legal are almost limited by society’s outlook. And not to mention, these limitations are imposed by both men and women.
This brings to question whether verbal aggression or assault impede on women rights or for anyone’s in general. Lets not forget, men too encounter societal conformity, just not as common. Still, I have always inquired whether it is fair to claim men and women equal considering the biological differences between the two. I mean, what are the true origins of our existence and the roles we play? The traditional roles of household work and child care on part of the mother and the job seeking ‘man of the house’ must have derived from somewhere right?
A divided society with loose ideals, for instance Western culture which indeed is very lenient deviates from these roles. Many people can agree to this, and considering I come from an Islamic conservative background that naturally outlines these roles, you wonder whether the positions men and women ‘held’ were in fact to practice a united, easy, non defiant society. And while boundaries exist in this type of society, its purpose is brought to light. Is it better to live in an unchallenged society where defined roles do exist?
Can limitations simply be benefits?
Do us women need to defy society’s norms to be accepted, or does the acceptance of one’s role defy the challenges brought toward society?
-S
ETHEREAL 