Feminism is for everybody!

Disclaimer: We won’t generalize or get offended but try and understand every word that’s written in here!

If I may ask, what similar words strike your mind when you read Feminism? And if I may further assume, is it women’s right? Girl Power? Female domination? Or women empowerment maybe? So many no? Now, let’s talk about if we really know the roots of feminism and if we rightly doing justice to it. 

Do you understand Feminism or do you really understand Feminism?

I tell you I’ve had so many friends saying women are meant to be respected regardless of whatsoever. A woman might be having at least one legit reason to hit a guy but a guy doing the same is equal to committing a sin. So whenever I tried correcting their statements, I was hilariously backfired by saying “you’re a disgrace to feminism!” Now, let me further add my share of argument – I’ve always believed and taught that respect is that asset that you are supposed to earn and it calls for tons of efforts. It is not something that any person regardless of the gender, can randomly come and claim as if it was their since birth.

Despite being a woman, I’d say women are not meant to be respected; if they rightly earn it, they get it. Neither any protest comes in between nor double tricks nothing. Put in your genuine efforts and own the position. 

You shall further understand the words I’ve penned down. So having said that, violence is something that neither was nor is legal in anyway. Yes it might carry its reasons at times but again, the language of violence never underlined the concept of a woman slapping a man as justified and a man doing the same as unjustified. If the entire act is wrong, then the entire act is wrong! 

Okay let’s consider I’m wrong on my part. Let me just put forth certain situation and facts to make it more clear. Starting with, considering the entire act of slapping a guy right in front of  ten other people as your birth right is just not normal in the eye of what is truly normal. Intentionally asking men to evacuate the seats in a public transport  only because either way, marked or not marked, there always resides this peculiar expectation of men handing over their seats to women; regardless of the seat section marked as ‘ladies, gents or handicapped.’ Girls, just because we make it, doesn’t mean it’s meant to be. Do you recall any incident where you were asked to get up while being seated on a ‘gents’ seat? Let me tell you, they can but they don’t since again, we’ve impractically normalized the unrealistic.

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Feminism is not using the out of the box power in making a man get up from his seat regardless of any markings; feminism is standing with that very power and making the men realize that for a change, we can be gentlewomen too. Feminism calls for the equality, where if we can stand against the bloodless men for not offering a proper seat to the women carrying a child then cordially, we can stand for the men who have had a long day at work but still continue being on their feet as gentlemen. 

Hands down on the beyond miserable safety of women all around and the way heavenly tortures they face on a daily basis. Not even commenting on that. But on the contrary, nobody and nobody ever talks about the statistics where it shows the high bar graphs of false accusations against men. If at all you think, since hundreds are involved in mistreating women all around thus the rest of the thousands are equally involved or are leading a free spirited life then yes you’re wrong! Forget India, according to studies in Europe and United States, the rate of false allegations are indicated between two and six percent. Likewise, even men can generalize and categorize women based on this percentage. Will we be able to buy that? Personally speaking, I can’t afford to. 

Just take note that where there are male rapists, there are female rapists too. An office carries evil-minded supervisors of both genders. As I always say, we see what we are shown. Not beyond that because we never really try to. We do understand a woman’s pain don’t we? But do our sympathies reach out to the defenseless men as well? 

Feminism neither asks a man to pay the cheque at the restaurant nor asks the woman to pay it all. It’s all about splitting equally without any hesitation. It’s about dropping a man back home if he’s running late. Not only about tutoring a man how to respect but also showing the same amount of respect. Feminism calls for an apology if you dare to raise your hand on the opposite gender. Feminism is allowing a man to sit on your seat the way you don’t think twice before sitting on his seat. 

Dominating and Intimidating is just neither synonymous to Women Power nor Girl Power.

Feminism, in authentic sense, is uplifting the other women in every genuine way possible. We’re supposed to empower each other in need but it’s nowhere mentioned that the empowerment of our girls can only be possible if we rightly oppress the men. If Feminism can altogether stand for the unprotected women then at the same time, it can stand against the women manipulating the laws and blindfolding the society out there. 

Don’t you think it’s high time that we stand for what is right? Time that we shout out loud and scream against what is truly wrong regardless of whatsoever gender? Are you sure that you even aren’t blindfolded when it comes to keenly looking at the thin line between fair and unfair? If you rightly agree with my words then come, let’s offer our jackets to our male friends on a cold shivery night and change the entire way of looking at what we call Chivalry!

You’ll be addressing yourself as a woman if you solely stand for Feminism but now you shall be addressed as a true blue human if you believe- Feminism is for everybody! How do you see yourself then? Let me know if I’m still or no longer a disgrace to Feminism.

Shrestha.S.Purkayastha