Can Men Be Feminists?
When you google the term “feminism”, the first result that pops up reads- “the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes”. In simple terms, this means standing up for and believing in gender equality. But, what seems to confuse people about the concept of feminism is the talk of women’s rights. Because if feminism really means equality of all genders then why is there a special emphasis on the issues and rights of women? The answer to this question is simple. In order to achieve gender equality in its true sense, women have to be uplifted to the pedestal that men are placed on by default by society. Women are usually not given equal opportunities and resources as compared to their male counterparts. This creates inequality and imbalance in society.
Most men and women in our generation believe in equal rights for all. We’re becoming more inclusive and non-judgemental. The BLM, Pride Month etc. are great examples of how society is progressing. Yet, even today, if you go up to a man and ask him if he’s a feminist, you’re most likely to receive either a confused, weirded-out look or a subtle laugh with no answer. I speak from having first-hand seen this when I say most men wouldn’t like to be associated with feminism. In even the most developed countries, only around 22% of men proudly identify themselves as feminists. The reason for this can be
A) that they’re scared of judgement from others because most of our society thinks that feminism is about favouring the rights of women over men,
B) they themselves have clouded their judgement with misconceptions about the cause.
One in three men believes that feminism does more harm than good.
I proudly call myself a feminist wherever I go and I’ve received judgemental and irritated looks and have also been mansplained the entire concept of feminism quite a few times. I’ve lost my calm more times than I can count when I tried to explain the true meaning of the term to someone. But, the truth of the matter is, no matter how hard you try to explain something to someone, their mindset and viewpoint is not going to change unless they themselves want to. There are not many people in our generation who would believe that women are inferior to men. There are also not many people who would deny advocating for social, political and economic equality amongst all genders. Then why is it that it’s so difficult for most men and even some women, to call themselves feminists? The term seems aggressive and intimidating to most but, to be honest, it’s very simple. Equal rights and opportunities for all is what feminism has always been about.
There are so many articles out there saying that men can’t be feminists. But, I disagree. Anyone and everyone can be a feminist if they want to be. If you believe in gender equality, you are a feminist by default. Regardless of the common misconceptions that there are, the true meaning of this term will not change.
Author: Vaishnavi Namdar, 12th grade student at Oakridge International School, Hyderabad is a gender advocate. She loves to debate and dance in her free time. At TribesforGOOD, Vaishnavi participated in awareness workshop of lifeskills for victims of human trafficking.
