Feminism: Unlocking Myths

By Sriya Kota & Esha Anand

Feminists hate men.

All feminists are lesbians.

Feminists do not support stay-at-home mothers.

Feminists can only be women.

Feminists don’t believe in marriages.

You might want to read about feminism if you think these are true.

The stigma attached to feminism exists after 200 years. What feminism actually stands for is safeguarding the rights of sexes and supporting the right thing no matter what.

Feminism, often associated with women taking over men, is a myth that has been around ever since the movement started. The women in the 19th century fought hard to have equal legal rights, even though equality hasn’t been fully established. Over the past two centuries, there has been a revolutionary change in the position of women in society.

Feminism back then was about bringing women to an equal position as men by giving them fundamental rights such as voting or having jobs, but now it has become so much more. It is now about encouraging everyone to be themselves without being judged or oppressed. It has become a fight against toxic masculinity and oppression for all, not just women. It has given people a way to understand themselves better, yet it still has stigma amongst many.

Currently, radical feminism is what is in the spotlight of media and anti-feminists. Radical feminism has also led to women’s oppression, which is ironic considering feminism initially started off to fight the oppression of women. Then are sets of individuals in society who think feminism is just for the safety and rights of women. Many argue that feminism is debasing the gender roles of women, but that was the whole point. It was to encourage not only women but also other genders to be who they wanted to be.

Initially, women protestors used violence to get the attention of the government. Extreme actions were taken only to get due attention and not continue committing acts of violence even after gaining said attention. Sadly those incidents haunt feminists to date, who are striving in support of equality.

All genders are equal mentally if not physically. In one of her interviews, Priyanka Chopra, when asked about feminism, said that what women want is cerebral equality, not be put in the same races. It’s about paying women the same for the same tasks completed, allowing women to educate themselves as well as take up jobs.