WHY FEMINISM IS OFTEN ABUSED RATHER THAN USED?

 WHY FEMINISM IS OFTEN ABUSED RATHER THAN USED?

Feminism is a very important topic in today's world and there are, perhaps, more pseudo-feminists than any real ones. First, it is imperative to understand what feminism is. Feminism is a cultural, political and social theory that aims at attaining equality among all sexes. Listed below are some points that one must keep in mind while trying to become a true feminist:

• Gender and sex are not the same thing. Sex is biological. Gender is the role we play out in society and gender roles are often pre-determined. For instance, there have always been stereotypical divisions between masculine tasks and feminine delicacies. What we need to understand is that it is perfectly fine if a man wants to cook or apply makeup. It is perfectly fine if a woman wants to become a Ninja. It is perfectly fine if a woman doesn't want to bear a child. It is fine if she wants to cut her hair short. There is nothing called 'unfeminine' or 'unmasculine'. Note that boys can cry. It doesn't make them less masculine but just a little more human. A woman might be physically as strong as a man. A woman can do all jobs that a man can do and she deserves equal pay. Similarly, a man can do all that is associated typically with women.

• Feminism also means equal rights and opportunities for the LGBTQ community. They are no different. They are just like us. No sexuality is an anomaly. If you are criminalising a particular sexuality, then it is you who has a problem. Sexuality is a personal choice and there is nothing moral and immoral about it (of course we are keeping out of this bestiality and paedophilia).

• Stop using derogatory terms for transgenders. They can be just as educated, as intelligent, as talented, as hard-working as the rest of us and therefore must not be deprived of their deserved opportunities. 

• Fulminate against male sexual harassment and sexual harassment of the LGBTQ community. Rape and molestation are heinous acts, regardless of who the criminal is - a man, a woman, or a person belonging to any other sex. Also, victim-blaming is nasty. Stay away from that!

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• Get rid of your innate misogyny. Gifting a little girl only crockery sets as toys and a little boy only doctor's kits as toys is abominable. You know what girls may love to play with syringes while a boy may have fun tossing items in a wok. Stop associating colours with sexes. Many girls like blue and many boys like pink.

• Education is for all. Do not monopolise it. A girl can be good at maths and some boys may prefer Humanities to Science. Be accepting!

• Many modern feminists have been advocating that anti-racism/anti-colourism/anti-communalism must be parts of the Feminist theory. Support such concepts. One's religion, complexion, origin doesn't give you the right to discriminate against him.

• Stay away from pseudo-feminism. Feminism is not man-hating. It doesn't imply that women should be raised to the pedestal of divine beings. Criticise women when they are wrong. Similarly criticise men and the other sexes when you are in disapproval of what they are doing.

• Do not promote sexist ads, movies and music videos. Women are mostly either represented as ‘angelic’ beings or as ‘whore-like’ characters. There is no in-between. And the LGBTQ community of course has little or no positive representation. The man is always the saviour, delivering his ‘heroine’ from a devil, a villain, a sin!

• Normalise breasts, vagina and menstruation (pharmacists sell sanitary napkins as stealthily as though they are drugs). In fact, a whole article can be written on the plight of women at home and outside when they are undergoing menstruation. Girls, at schools, are often asked to wear slips over their bras (so that the bra straps are not visible) and shorts under their skirts. Not following such rules may lead you to be called 'unladylike'. I wonder why the boys are not taught to control their gaze. Body parts are natural (and so in case of every sex). We are made that way (biological truth, duh!). Why make even body parts and biological processes a taboo?

• Stop body-shaming. Promote body-positivity. Not every person out there is posing a competition to you. You do not need to prove your apparent superiority to every human being alive and dead. And the problem of body-shaming is ingrained. Children at school bully their classmates because of their respective body types and teachers and parents take this is a joke. It is high time we do away with the conventional definitions of beauty. Glad that Disney came out with non-white protagonists like ‘Mulan’ and ‘Moana’. ‘Elsa’ is a female character and has no love interest (incredible development, indeed). Waiting for the day when Disney would come out with a plus size protagonist (especially a female plus size protagonist for, as far as the men are concerned, we have ‘Quasimodo’ to back this issue regarding societal norms surrounding beauty) and a homosexual love story.

• Let a person (irrespective of the sex) dress according to his choice. Do not direct what a person should wear. For instance, if a woman wears a dress, it doesn't mean that she is of an inconsistent character. Similarly, if a woman likes wearing burqa and saree, do not cajole her into wearing western clothes in order to prove that she is liberated and empowered.

• Lastly, do not hesitate to say that you are a feminist. This is one of the best things that you can ever embrace provided you are a true feminist.

• - Sanghamitra Chatterjee

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