The Importance of Feminism
…and why we all need it
Based on Google, feminism is the advocacy of sex-based equality on the assumption that people of different sexes experience sex-based inequality. Although, I think in recent years, we’ve come to understand that sex-based inequality is not the end-all be-all of the situation, nor is it the most nuanced way to look at it. The conversation has shifted- we speak in terms of gender equality now, where by gender identities and expressions become intersecting sources of oppression and privilege, along with sex assigned at birth, race, class, sexuality, and so on. Intersectional feminism understands the various axes along which people are privileged and oppressed, and aims for greater gender equality through the addressing of all these associated issues. It is a more inclusive feminism, one that encompasses not just those who have a voice and a platform, but seeks to empower and raise up those without a voice or a platform.
The misunderstanding of the term “feminism” has led to the assumption that it is solely about women. That is simply not the case. While feminism approaches gender equality from the front of empowering and elevating women, it at the same time attempts to tear down the harmful gender roles, norms, and expectations that hurt us all, of every gender. Unequal jail times is a feminist issues as much as domestic violence, no matter the perpetrator. Rape culture is a feminist issue as much unequal custody rulings. Feminism is about gender equality and fairness, not about giving women a “leg up” over men. We will encounter radical feminists who will champion the supremacy of women. We will encounter those that shut men down because they’re men, and have “no right to speak about feminist issues” (while in certain spaces priority should be given to the oppressed voices, men have every right to speak about, champion, and advocate for feminist issues). But these people have lost sight of what feminism is actually about. The feminist sees the immediate inequalities plaguing women as more pressing than those plaguing men — which happens to make sense, because of social attitudes, work environments, the general world inhabited by women is far different from one inhabited by men. This gets even messier along intersectional lines, where different gender identities and expressions experience yet different worlds, race, class, and sexuality become factors, and things are generally understood to be far from cut-and-dry.
Yet fundamentally, feminism is about greater equality. It is about tearing down gendered norms and establishing a less prejudiced society that allows people to take up the roles they want, do things based on merits rather than gender, and generally be more free. Tell me your sex/gender based gripe, and I will tell you how it is linked to feminism. For example: some men are afraid of gay men, because they feel “hunted” in the same way that straight men “hunt” women. Fundamentally, this is attributable to the imbalance in the gender power dynamic between straight men and women, that becomes transferrable, at least in some sense, to that between gay men and straight men. Some of it perceived, and some of it experienced, this kind of fear is best described as “fearing that gay men are treating them as they would treat women”. This, naturally, is a feminist issue. The gender power dynamic is one that needs to be resolved, because it stems from the assumption that men are more assertive and powerful, and women are more submissive and meek. Nothing could be further from the truth. These gender assumptions are what lead to women being poorly represented in positions of higher power, and female bosses being stereotyped as “bossy” over “assertive”. It is also why women need to prove themselves to be as competent as, if not more than, their male counterparts. All of which stem from a set of established gender norms, and the ensuing mindset that women are inferior in some shape or form, whether this mindset is conscious or not. It leads to increasingly insidious representations of gender inequality, such as people assuming the boss is a man, speaking only to the male interviewer when at an interview, and so on.
Within gendered assumptions lie double standards, and nowhere is it clearer than in the “imagine if it were the other way around” exercise. Every single time a gendered assumption is made, or someone talks about doing something that isn’t quite right, imagine it being flipped and the gendered action or assumption gets tipped over on its head. If we have a different reaction to it then, that is an indication of a double standard. For example, the double standard that punishes men harshly if they have to rely on their wives for financial support, but doesn’t say a word if women have to rely on their husbands for financial support. And it is these double standards that impede and hamper freedom of choice for people of all genders. The fundamental misogyny underpinning gender inequality is instrumental in limiting the freedom of choice for people of all genders to present, work, and live the way they are most comfortable.
This is why feminism is known as a liberation movement. It liberates people from the clutches of oppression and inequality, but more importantly, it liberates one’s mind from dated, archaic mindsets surrounding gender. Feminism is about deconstructing the social and oligarchical structures that have settled within the historic framework of the world, and attempts to raise the privilege of all other genders up to the level of the male gender, as opposed to bringing the male gender’s privilege down to the level of everyone else. Naturally, as equality is further achieved, some privileges will disappear. Most notable of these is preferential privilege, whereby one is preferred over another with equal, if not better, merits due to one’s gender. But for the most part, privileges will not be taken away. Their impact will be decreased. But the fundamental quality that lends such privilege will not be hampered or dampened. They will just not have as sharp an edge. There is a saying “for those who are accustomed to privilege, equality feels a lot like oppression”, and nowhere is this truer than feminism. If we look at the MRA movements and MGTOW movements, it is clear that the seeking of equal rights for all genders is one that causes massive discomfort. This phenomenon is also clear in the alt-right/neo-nazi movements. The agitation for the rights of racial minorities has increased the number of white people who feel oppressed and like their rights are being taken from them.
Yet, we all need feminism. We need it so that we can live in a more free, more equal, and more just world.
