Recently, I had a mind-stimulating conversation with some friends of mine that triggered the above statement in my mind.
No, I am not a feminist. But let’s first agree on which definition of feminism is subject of this statement. In essence, being a feminist means that you are an advocate of equality between men and women. Feminism stands for political, economic and social rights of females, defending equal opportunities between men and women in all aspects of life.
That’s it. And that’s all. Nothing more.
Contrary to that ideology, the words “feminist” and “feminism” conjure completely different images in the minds of people. If a woman is seen as a feminist, it usually carries connotations of insult and of being too manly.
Somewhere between when the first feminist movement occurred more than a century ago and today, feminism was redefined. Perhaps this fracture resulted from media bombardment, perhaps through one-sided recordings of history, perhaps through zionist movements, maybe even through influential political ideologies or by movie makers who needed to juice up their stories with some drama. Maybe it’s none of the above, maybe it’s all of them combined. In any case, the way feminism is perceived today is not the way it should be.
These factors have indeed succeeded in mutilating the term’s definition and turning the entire ideology into something that simply must be frowned upon. Feminism disrupts the nature of things and breaks boundaries of taboo that would have been worthy of crucifixion in the past, if not still until today in some parts of the world (including many Arab countries).
Today, if you say the term “feminist” in front of someone, they will probably cringe and images of a woman with a moustache will conjure themselves in their minds. Feminists are thought to be the overtakers of men’s rights; the haters of the opposite gender and, most of the time, are thought to be lesbian, just for kicks.
A feminist – based on the unspoken, agreed upon “rule” followed today, is a woman who doesn’t groom, a woman who does not care for others, a woman who does not love children. A feminist is a woman who wants to take over the world! She is the female version of Hitler, and equally ruthless.
Well, if this is how you define feminism, then, no; I am not a feminist.
If being a feminist means anything other than seeing myself as a human, then I am not a feminist.
If being a feminist means that I do not embrace my womanhood and wish that I was born a man, then I am not a feminist.
If being a feminist means that I want to see all men hanged or killed in cold blood, then I am not a feminist.
I merely want to be perceived as an equal, not as an object. I want to be looked at as a person, not as a subhuman species. I want to be appreciated for the mind I carry above my shoulders, and not for the features of my body.
If being a feminist means anything other than that, then, no. I am not a feminist.
