Feminism - Abused and Overrated

The very word ‘Feminism’ at once stirs up an interest in us; it’s been one of the most burning topics for the last two decades. Feminism – it’s a movement that started out as a way to fight for the rights of Indian women, helping them climb up the social ladder so they could enjoy gender equality in social, political, educational, professional and all other important spheres of life. However, today it has become an ambiguous term that seems to have lost its power, acting more as an irritant that has been over-used and abused for way too long.

The society throughout the world has always allowed men to enjoy a stronger position when compared to women, while women were always considered subordinate. The picture was grimmer in India and inhuman rituals and customs like Sati, Child marriage etc were practiced. With an iconic movement like Feminism, revolutionary changes came in to the society and the story of women repression and suppression could be managed to a great extent.

Unfortunately, today feminism is misinterpreted, and the hope & promise that it showed at its dawn appears to dim out. And the people who are responsible for this are undoubtedly the present day feminism activists. Today’s feminism activists lack the earlier spark, dedication & fervor. They are no more than fanatic feminists. Does that mean it’s time to put a stop to feminism?

Rise & Origin of Feminism
The Feminist movement originated in the year 1840 in the West and the sole goal was women liberation by rising over the patriarchy. The movement falls into 3 distinct ‘Waves’. The first wave also called suffragette movement (late 1800s-early 1900s) focused on securing women suffrage, right to property and some other vital Fundamental Rights for Women that would help them to achieve political equality and be at par with the men. The second wave (1960s-1970s) is a crucial landmark in the feminist movement. The entire Feminist Iconography is often believed to rest on the second wave. During this phase issues like rape, sexual harassment, reproductive rights for women were brought to the lime light. The third wave feminism with its top issues like Gender identity, class, race, queerness came up around 1990s.

Whatever gaps in the feminist movement were there were addressed in the third wave and this third wave ultimately broadened into the modern day full spectrum feminist movement that deals with gender intersection, sexuality, class, race etc issues with a more holistic approach.

Society preyed by Feminist Fanatics
In our society there is no end to fanaticism and Feminist fanatics is another addition to the list. They are hysterical man-haters who raise hullabaloo on issues that upset the natural biological, rather God-determined roles, of man and woman and these fanatics today are perfect examples of female hostility towards men. With the huge number of Feminist Fanatics today, it has really become difficult to implement the right Feminist theories or achieve the set goals.

Why is ‘feminism’ becoming more of an irritant?
In many circumstances or for many people ‘feminism’ today has become more of an irritant because the origin of Feminism was to teach a woman to be liberated, to be conscious of her rights and establish it. It taught her that she is equal to her man in all respects with only minor differences of stature and physical strength. However today, Feminists keep insisting that women should raise a hue and cry every time her rights are ignored, or she feels repressed, and often times this exaggerated affair is not really to help the distressed woman but actually to create more publicity and turn more and more women in to active feminists.

Fact is, In India there are many women who love their womanly duties, their family; their house and even within the bounds of a house they can live a liberated life provided they are happy with their husband and their children. They don’t need to be ‘liberated’ only because they don’t want to do the same jobs as the men in their lives. And this is a concept that many feminists do not respect. Additionally, instead of trying to resolve family matters that could be a result of misunderstanding between man and wife, most feminists want to take extreme measures. Rather than trying to restore family balance, they often encourage women to take extreme steps against their husbands and fathers, resulting in severed families and destroyed relationships.

Negative impact of abused feminism on peaceful relationships
Women who are motivated by the Feminist Fanatics of today need to realize that their actions are having adverse impact on peaceful relationships in many ways:

•    Some women start misbehaving and dominating their husbands, encouraged by feminists who misinterpret feminism and their rights, pressurizing their partners to fulfill all their unjust demands. This creates an atmosphere of utter disharmony in the family
•    Some suffer from soaring superiority complex and ego that ultimately gives a death blow to their relationship
•     Some if unhappy with their present partner and looking for an excuse to end the relationship misuse feminism by bringing in fake rape, domestic violence or other assault charges against their present partner. This is nothing but Feminism fraud.

Is it time to draw the line?
Today, modern feminists really need to revise their approach. Feminism is gender warfare for acquiring equal rights for both genders. It does not tell a woman to abhor a man. Feminists really need to draw the line where they start propagating Women’s rights to punish a man for violence etc. This is where the theory tends to be misunderstood or abused by the Feminist Fanatics.

In other words a true feminist is a woman who exercises her rights or uses the theory to the extent she is a humanist; her propagandas and campaigns should never tear happy families apart.

The Traditional Indian Woman - A Boon or a Bane?

If you take a closer look around you, you’ll realize that the traditional Indian woman is very different from her western counterparts. For those who have traveled the world and had the chance to meet women from different countries and cultures, it may come as a surprise that the characteristics of the typical Indian woman, and their sublime qualities like unquestionable forbearance, sacrifice and  sense of morality and virtue stands out. The traditional India woman is truly unique, but is that a boon or a bane?

The uniqueness of the traditional Indian woman:
When you think of a traditional Indian woman, the three things that first come to mind are poise, elegance and grace. The Indian woman has been reared and groomed to be nurturing, caring, and honorable. They are expected to hold a family together and to take a back seat to the whims of their husbands and fathers, and in most households they do not have an equal relationship with the men of the house. It is ingrained in to them since childhood that their duty is to fulfil their role as a wife, mother and sister, by putting their needs behind those for whom they care. While some may say this gives the Indian woman a matchless identity, others would not be wrong in saying that the traditional Indian woman has been born and bred to be repressed.

In all earnest, the Indian woman is not without weaknesses. While she has the inner strength to withstand a lot of emotional and physical distress in order to fulfill all the roles she plays, she often doesn’t have the strength and conviction to stand up against what she believes is wrong.  She feels she cannot overstep her boundaries and try to change the society she lives in, even when she doesn’t believe in the rules herself.

Is it time for the traditional Indian woman to change?
It comes as no surprise that the traditional Indian woman puts up with domestic abuse – be it physical, mental or emotion, as her fate. She believes that she cannot question the rules of the society, which is why a large percentage of all abusive marriages go unreported till date. It is time that the traditional Indian woman understands that the role she plays in this society is indispensable, and she has nothing to fear by voicing her opinion and drawing attention to the issues that are a cause for concern. Be it female infanticide, child abuse, sexual abuse or domestic violence, there is no reason for the Indian woman to maintain a stoic facade and bear with what can only be termed as ‘torture’. 

She needs to transform her thinking and understand that she doesn’t need to cast in a stereotype by the society. She has the right to be appreciated for who she is and encouraged for any steps she might want to take to bring about a positive change in her life. It is time that the Indian woman changes her mental outlook about her role, and understands that she has the right to stand up for what she believes in rather than give in to domestic drudgery. It isn’t worth caring about what others may think of her, but it’s more important to be a person she is proud to be.