Feminism - the undiluted truth
A controversy.
Feminism and gender inequality: two pressing and controversial matters in society today that are thrown from two ends of the spectrum with those who take it with steadfastly fierce advocation, to those that dismiss it as a merely trivial matter.
My name is Zapran and I am a Year 11 student writing this article during the dystopian setting of the coronavirus, which has so rapidly engulfed the media, and now recently amidst the incredibly widespread outrage of the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed black civilian. I wanted to write this article on the truth about feminism and sexism as a staunch feminist myself, as a stigma needs to be uprooted, and it needs to go…
What is feminism?
The Oxford Dictionary defines feminism as: “The advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes.” Contemplate on their definition while reading through the rest of the article to help understand my perspective.
The honest truth is that us feminists are most certainly few and far between in an all boys’ school, and that’s very unfortunate. Looking back over the years, I have always felt outnumbered when it came to class debates and discussions as my views on matters such as women’s rights, gender equality, the gender pay gap and institutionalised misogyny were always met with fierce opposition from the vast majority of the class. This was incredibly frustrating, as some of my opposition were considered as “intelligent” and “wise” people.
“No – that is completely irrelevant.“
People seem to have the ideal that if one is academically gifted, then they are automatically transcended into the Martin Luther King of social beliefs and a broad knowledge of moral equality. That is not how it works, sorry to disappoint you.
And so, the debates were categorised into three sections, myself (and sometimes 1 – 2 others) vs the opposition (mainly 2 – 3 vocal spokesmen), and then yes, that leaves around 27 sheep, sorry, students. The problem here is so blatantly obvious – people are too afraid of social perception to break this social stigma and actually look back and recognise that maybe the facts speak for themselves, women are paid less in some sectors of employment compared to their male counterparts, women still face more radicalised sexism in countries in the Middle East where there is not a glass ceiling, but a ceiling, to their success.
It is just such a challenge in these debates when my ears are flooded with hypocrisy, double standards and quite frankly, ignorance.
The equality (inequality) of the sexes.
According to the World Economic Forum, it will take another 108 years to reach gender parity.
Whenever I raise the topic of global gender equality and sexism, I always hear the silent groan of “here we go again” from my classmates. However, it is a pressing issue that needs not only to be acknowledged, but also addressed and embraced by people worldwide.
Women across the world in less socially developed countries have to live under the shadow of their male counterparts, like living a life in a movie, however only featuring the “behind the scenes” bits in the glory of male supremacy. For example, I have witnessed this first hand due to my Sri Lankan heritage. Cultural capital in South Asia is highly prevalent, even in this day and age. Gender roles are transparently established by people, completely impeding social mobility and specifically, the progression of equality in these parts of the world.
If we keep living blindly like this, and dismissing these points as merely cultural differences and not problems, then in decades to come, the disparity in the world will be unparalleled, with much of the Eastern world living a medieval culture of gender equality in stark contrast with a more or less gender equality utopia in the West.
A more pressing issue than gender inequality in South Asia, is gender inequality in the Middle East. In Saudi Arabia, women were given the right to drive cars in late 2017, whilst women were given the right to drive in the UK in 1935. Just think about that for a second.
What aggravates me the most is when these anti-feminists attack back with an argument such as “women can drive in Saudi Arabia”, speaking as if it has always been like that and that these countries are rapidly improving in social equality.
This is not true, this is painfully ignorant.
It is not an achievement to be celebrated, it is something that the world should be ashamed of that it has taken this long for such a simple and ordinary right to be implemented. It is utterly shameful that we live in a society that is so ignorant to these pressing matters.
- Did you know that in Saudi Arabia, women can’t marry without the permission of a male guardian?
- Did you know that they cannot leave a domestic violence shelter without the permission of a male guardian?
- Public transportation, beaches, public parks and amusement parks are still segregated by sex; this enforcing a stigma that younger generations will grow up with and acknowledge as a normality.
We need change. Now.
Reflection
“The advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes.”
From the Oxford Dictionary
A common misinterpretation of feminism is that it is the breakdown of men’s rights. As a male myself, this is quite frankly a pathetic viewpoint which should not be tolerated. The double standard is also transparently evident here, the irony that when men with a fragile masculinity complex encounter the word “feminism”, they immediately take it as an attack on their rights, which speaks volumes to say the least.
It is our duty as morally good citizens (most of us), to stand up for what is right, and likewise to stand up against what is wrong, not just sit back and accept this tyranny of male supremacy, which does unfortunately exist in the world we live in today. When someone makes a sexist joke (I assure you, I’ve encountered my share), don’t just laugh it off, don’t be stupid and embarrass yourself by associating yourself with sexist individuals. They are not worth anyone’s time.
Together, we can make change, if we choose to make change, and break these patriarchal rudiments of society.
Cover image by © James McNellis [CC BY]
Second and third images by © Noah Lock