Recently, I came across a facebook page dedicated to "Women Against Feminism," featuring ignorant women who claim themselves to be anti-feminists for very cringe-worthy reasons. After reading through numerous posts that said "I don't need feminism because my boyfriend treats me right" or "I don't need feminism because I like it when men compliment my body," I was utterly shocked by the level of ignorance these women possessed about what feminism actually is, and how this group full of fallacies were leading numerous women to blatantly oppose feminism by erroneously stating feminism as promoting anti-men sentiments, matriarchy, and victimhood.
Feminism is about EQUALITY of women AND men, not women supremacy.
One of the most common misunderstandings that many people have of feminism is that it solely focuses on women supremacy and anti-men sentiments. But this is not even close in proximity to what feminism actually is. Feminism is about women getting the same respect as men. Feminism is about equal pay. Feminism is about giving you the rights to make your own decisions about your body. But feminism is about men too because men are prone to inequality also. Men are victims of patriarchy too. Many men are often forced to take on a "masculine" role in the society due to the old tradition of patriarchy, not leaving any room for them to feel insecure or sensitive. This aspect of toxic masculinization seems to prevail even before childhood, in which parents teach their boys to "man-up," or to engage in "manly things," unconsciously taking away the need to feel comfort and protection. Feminism is against this toxic patriarchy and that's why I can proudly call myself a feminist because I believe in equality of women and men in addition to equality for women as well as men. Quoting Emma Watson's infamous HeForShe speech, "If men don’t have to be aggressive in order to be accepted, women won’t feel compelled to be submissive. If men don’t have to control, women won’t have to be controlled. Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive. Both men and women should feel free to be strong."
Feminism is NOT about being masculine.
Let me repeat again: feminism is NOT about being masculine (or being feminine, for that matter) nor is it about denying the traditional roles of women. I came across a quite concerning quote on "Women Against Feminism" page that said, "I don't need feminism because I'm enjoying my role as a supportive wife. I love that my man is the head of my household and I value being a stay-at-home mom over slaving for a corporation while neglecting my family." There are three things that are very problematic here. First of all, feminism does not require anyone to abandon the traditional roles of women if that's the lifestyle you chose--We appreciate your choice in life, whether it be a full-time housewife or a full-time businesswoman. Rather, feminists are against restricting women's role to just traditional roles, because no one should be obliged to follow the gender roles specified by the society. Therefore, feminists acknowledge the freedom that women have to choose their ways of life and we respect the choice they make. Also, feminism is not about forcing women to fulfill the traditionally "masculine" roles such as being the head of the household. But what we are against is men abusing this power to domineer over women or by simply placing men on top of women based solely on biological differences. Likewise, women should not be submissive to anyone as they have the right to receive the same respect and dignity as other men. Lastly, I want to point out that not all working moms are "slaving for a corporation while neglecting [their] family." My mom worked for more than fifteen years at a large corporation but I grew up with as much love and care as any other children, thank you very much.
Feminism does NOT require you to be a victim.
The quote I was most disgusted by on the "Women Against Feminism" page was "I don't need feminism because I am NOT a victim." Feminists are not constituted solely of people who are victims or who have been victimized. What their actual goal is, is to protect those who are victims by giving them the opportunity and strength to speak up about their uncomfortable truths, so that we can prevent other innocent people from being victims of dehumanizing actions. Furthermore, you may have been lucky enough to live your life without discrimination or traumatic experiences, but that does not mean we need to ignore numerous women AND men that didn't receive that privilege you had. Both men and women are still objectified to a dehumanizing level for sexual pleasure and both men and women are still subject to domestic violence, sex trafficking, harassment and sexual assaults. What feminism does is to tell these people that have been victimized and oppressed that they are not weak, and to change the common perception that victimhood symbolizes weakness. It takes more strength to speak up about the traumatic experiences and feminists want to help them to gain that strength.
It's OKAY to be a MALE feminist.
Many people assume feminists as a group of women social activists just because the word has "feminine" in it. But in reality, being a feminist is believing in equality of men and women, so why is it so odd to have a male feminist? It just really means that he cares about equality. There are various male celebrities who are feminists out there, such as Mark Ruffalo and Will Smith, so you have no reason not to be. There's nothing to be ashamed of.
The fundamental concept of feminism lies in equality of men and women, freedom of choice and admittance of all race, class, and gender. Although I may not be able to change the thoughts of those who still remain strongly opposed to feminism, I believe their views come from a very biased perception and lack of knowledge of feminism. However, I want them to at the very least, understand how far feminists has gotten them and how they are increasing opportunities for the future generation of men and women.
