Recently, an article circulating my Facebook feed got my attention. To summarize it, the writer basically discussed how they believe the current feminism movement is overbearing and unnecessary in this day and age (I am not here to bash someone else's writing, as I believe everyone has the right to express their opinion). The article contained many misconceptions of feminism and these concepts are most definitely not limited to just one person. I am not an expert or anything of the sorts when it comes to feminism, but being a feminist is something that I strongly identify with and is something that I am very passionate about. With that being said, I would like to clarify some of the misconceptions that I have noticed the most about feminism and exemplify the importance of this movement.
One of the biggest misperceptions people have about feminism is that it's all about hating men. However, this is far from the truth. Feminism is about equality between men and women on all levels (political, social, and economic). Men are not the enemy. The enemy is the internalized sexism and gender roles that have been continuously reinforced all over the world for an extremely long time. The goal is to have a world where men and women can be treated equally.
Somewhat tying in with the belief that feminists hate men, there is this idea that women are trying to take on the responsibilities of men or destroy traditionalist values (ex: the man works while the woman stays at home). This is not what feminism is about. Feminism is about choice. It's recognizing that you don't have to live your life around these societal expectations , but you can if you want to. It is about having a choice other than traditional values.
One thing that I was particularly bothered by was the belief some people have that in the 21st century, women in the US have never been more respected. Yes, women are absolutely more respected than they were 60 years ago but that is not to say that our work is done. There is still a long way to go. Also, that only goes to say that women in the US are respected. What about those who live in places around the world (ex: Afghanistan) where women have difficulty practicing many rights and have very little say in their own lives? Feminism is about equality for ALL women, not just the ones of the country you live in.
These misperceptions are only a few of many, but hopefully it provides clarity for those who may have been confused as to what the meaning of feminism is. Feminism is our chance to break through hundreds of years of oppression and is here to provide a future filled with equality. Like I said, I'm not an expert when it comes to feminism. Then again, you don't really have to be an expert to want equal rights for everyone. What I discussed doesn't even make a dent in everything that can be covered when it comes to feminism, but it is still important. The more people understand about feminism, the better.
