FEMINISM: CLARIFYING MISCONCEPTIONS AND EMBRACING TRUE EQUALITY

There is miscommunication among new generations regarding what feminism means or being a feminist what does it show? The word “feminism” was first coined in 1837 by French philosopher Charles Fourier (as féminisme) and was used for the first time in 1890.

- DR PYALI CHATTERJEE

According to the Oxford Dictionary, feminism means the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of the equality of the sexes. It embodies the belief and aim that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men and includes the struggle to achieve this aim. Thus, Feminists are the individuals who support and promote feminism. Feminism seeks to challenge the systemic inequalities that women face daily. In lay-man’s words, a true feminist believes in the equality of all genders. But the young generation confused feminists with misogynists and misandrists. Misogynist means those who think women are inferior to men and misandrist means those who believe that women are superior to men. But feminist believes both males and females are equal. Feminists can be male or female. Feminist supporters have always spoken about equality before the law and equal position in society. To understand more about feminism, one must read the work of Mary Wollstonecraft. Mary Wollstonecraft was known as one of the foremothers of feminism and made significant contributions to the feminist movement with her revolutionary work in 1792. She authored “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman,” where she emphasized the importance of women’s education. One must read the books written by Simone De Beauvoir (The Second Sex, 1949), Betty Freidman (The Feminine Mystique,1963), Germame Greek (sexual politics,1970), and Kate Millet (Patriarchal Attitude, 1970) for depth of knowledge about the feminism and feminist movement. Feminism is the voice of women who are constrained by barriers in terms of society, religion, caste, creed, etc. and are deprived of enjoying the freedoms that men can. It advocates for women to have the same rights as men, so they can enjoy the same freedoms. One cannot forget that in India, leaders like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, and many others advocated for basic human rights for women when they were not allowed to pursue education and other freedoms