Feminism

My friend recently shared with me that she didn't want to do a Masters on women’s rights as she didn't want to be coined to the ideal of a ‘butch, hairy, lesbian’. Society still largely assumes that if you’re a feminists (or interested in gender equality) then you have those attributes. 

The sad thing is that this discourse on feminism actually hinders people's ability to understand what feminism is truly about - something which feminist scholars themselves debate extensively. 

Myth 1: Feminists only care about women! 

Feminism, like most political concepts, is something that is widely discussed. It’s a term that has become so broadly used that it has lost some of its meaning in the journey. This is explored by the story teller, Isabel Allend in her Ted Talk ‘The Tales Of Passion’, where its stated while feminism, and the questions that arise with this thinking, are so important, the name attributed to thin thinking is less important.

So, simply phrased, feminism focuses on exploring the role of gender in society to establish equal opportunities for women. What is forgotten is that to establish equal rights for women, there must be their equal, men.  Hence, feminism isn't about the advancement of women's rights at the expense of men's - it's about the development of women's rights so that they can have the same opportunities as men. Really, then, feminism should be understood as a study of gender and its impact on society.

Myth 2: If you're a feminist, you believe in ABSOLUTE equality - men and women are equal in every sense

Through focusing on the role of gender in society, feminists are able to see the social injustices that hinder both women AND men. For instance, why is it that men must go fight in the war to save women and children? And what happens when women join the forces, who are the men fighting for? Why is crying associated with being ‘girly’ and ‘girly’ associated with being weak?

Feminists, then, account for the different expectations of men and women, and ask question 'why does it have to be this way?'. It is obvious that has a general rule, men have greater physical endurance and women tend to be better at multi-tasking. It's through learning to appreciate these differences, and understanding them, that feminists aim to empower the individual. 

For instance, through her slam poetry, Blythe Baird shows the underlying gender-bias that stills forms part of societies thinking. The poet expresses how while wearing a dress girls feel ‘pretty’, suits are associated with ‘power'. Baird's poem is great example of how by focusing on gender, and the issues that surround it, so much information and other knowledge surfaces. 

Myth 3: Feminists hate sex 

Anna Binkovitz in her slam-poem expresses how the feminist movement is also part of sexual liberation. Binkovitz, among other issues, challenges the convention that certain sex positions are reflective of male power, but are they really? In her poem ‘Suffragette 69’ she expresses how feminism is a liberating movement, not something that feminists ought to feel repressed by.

In similar vein is the Ted Talk by Chen Lizra, a famous dancer, who explores the power of seduction. While her talk can easily be criticised from a feminist point of view as it can be considered to objectivity women, like the work of Binkovitz, it's about the liberation of women. Lizra’s research on seduction allowed her to come to the conclusion that seduction is a powerful tool in helping achieve “self confidence, and self confidence leads to success in all areas of life - personal and business”. Thus reflecting the importance of embracing who you are. 

By focusing on gender, by being a so-called feminist, then, it is possible to analyse issues that are otherwise ignored. Without a doubt there exist feminists who do believe women are better then men - these, however, are an exception to the rule. By believing in gender equality, by focusing on the role of gender, you able to empower both sexes - not just women.