Feminism: Most Misunderstood Word In Current Scenario

By: Saket Sharma

Feminism, yes a word many thinks about the mere political motive and other thinks it’s the need of the hour. Apparently, everyone has different meaning about the word. Let’s take a look at Wikipedia, according to the website Feminism is a range of political movements, ideologies, and social movements that share a common goal: to define, establish, and achieve equal political, economic, personal, and social rights for women. So it’s a political movement, social movements and an ideology for the betterment of women in the world, or is it?

In its beginnings in the middle of the 19th century, different feminist movements claimed, quite fairly, that men and women should have the same rights, obligations, and opportunities. However, in the 1980’s, the originally well-meaning feminist movement twisted and turned into a brand of collectivism, with the deep populist streaks we see today. Feminists began to focus on payback. In truth, they don’t intend to do away with male privilege. They rather seek to hand over these privileges exclusively to women. What started out as a one of the positive movements in last century, next to Black Rights movement in just mere 35 years turned into a cluster phobic political agenda to please 49.3 % population in the world.

Female politicians use this word as a tool to please their voters, take Hillary Clinton for example, in her speeches and those of her followers the slogan “it’s time for a woman to lead this country” appears time to time. They suggest that Hillary should be voted in only because of her sex. If her political career is tainted or if her affair with Wall Street can compromise her government or her email hacked again by some hacker working in ISIS, it isn’t relevant. It’s her gender that matters, the feminists say, not her policies. Not only on US, After David Cameroon resignation, the two next in line conservative party hopeful PM Candidates Theresa May or Andrea Leadsom so far did nothing extra-ordinary for women in England, now presented as ‘Feminist Icons’ and their new agenda is ‘After 20 years, this country needs a female prime minister’. No mention of development or how to sustain Britian economy after Brexit, just they need a new female prime minister nothing else. In India, if you questioned cabinet minister Smriti Irani over the ‘degree deficit’ issues or her approach to run a ministry she turned the entire conversation into a political mumbo jumbo about her achievements and how she overcome the odds and succeed in life even after being a women. ‘Feminism’ word actually became a shield to dodge the questions bullets for most of the female politicians. Michelle Bachelet, Dilma Rousseff, and Cristina Kirchner have caused disasters in Chile, Brazil and Argentina. Does this overwhelming evidence not prove that the only determining factor that qualifies someone for high office is individual merit?
Mainstream media is no different, Kim Kardashian took a nude selfie and captioned it with ‘Being Feminist and Proud’ (even if we know it’s just for seeking attention and nothing else), she did it to embrace her sexuality because you  know being topless is one way to make women proud in the world. So that’s the reason why half of women population in the countries in Africa and Asia region not wear clothes to cover up their body because they are proud of their sexuality or because they don’t have clothes to cover them?. Priyanka Chopra ‘Feminist Icon’ said in an interview- “I just need a male partner for making babies” now think if any male celebrity will passed a similar type of comments in an interview, Women Rights activists will attack the celeb left,right and centre and termed him as misogynist. Deepika’s ‘My Choice’ video is one such example as how little some ‘Feminist Icons’ women knows about what ‘Feminism’ word is actually stand for. the term “anti-feminist” is used to silence academic debate about feminism. Women blame men for not taking ‘feminism’ word seriously but the reality is the word loses its appeal when so called current feminist icons changed the real mottos of, Wilhelmina Drucker and Emmeline Pankhurst the women who fought for equal rights, and shaped up the better tomorrow for future generation into a pleasing and getaway weapon for their problems.
Well, let’s talk about some positive things to feminism word too, first and foremost it actually help the world for boys and girls to raised as an equal in the society, It is also challenging the notion in man’s world and placing women’s in decision making roles. Perhaps the greatest feminist achievement was helping women win the right to vote, as well as the right for female political candidates.
Feminism is about equality of men and women in terms of power, access, and voice in social, political and economic matters. We need to make sure we don’t turn around what has been achieved, and need to keep on building up and maintaining our numbers in all fields. ‘Equal-Wage’ can only be sought out if men and women work together and tackle the issues in appropriate manner.