What is Feminism?
To understand feminism, it is important to know the definition of the word. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, feminism is a noun that means âbelief in and advocacy of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes expressed especially through organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests”. This definition explains that feminism is all about equality for everyone, not just one group. While it began with the focus primarily on the equality of women to men, it has grown to be more intersectional, fighting for the rights of equality regarding sex and gender to create an equal and healthy world for everyone to be a part of.
           Intersectional Feminism has become the current norm for feminism and focuses more on how being LGBTQ+, or a person of color, or any other minority group plays a role in the way your equality with other sexes is affected. According to Oxford Languages, intersectionality is a noun that can be defined as, âthe interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage”. By definition, intersectionality is all about how feminism is tied to many other aspects of being a human being, rather than just simply being a man or a woman. Being a member of the LGBTQ+ community as a woman has a different experience with feminism than being a straight woman does. While it is important to note that feminism is for everyone, being intersectional in your feminism and understanding that not everyone has the same experience being a woman is a vital aspect to keep in mind in being a feminist.
So why do people hate it?
          After knowing about the movement, why are so many opposed to feminism? There are numerous different reasons as to why a person may have animosity towards feminism. This reason could be the belief that men and women have already reached equality, and that there is nothing else that needs to be fought for. Or the opposite, some people believe that men and women shouldnât be equal and that the patriarchal ideals presented in society are the best way to live. Some people may not be aware of patriarchy and the effects that it has on all of us, and some may feel as though feminism isnât the movement to solve the issues of inequality that are facing society.
           To start off, there is a patriarchal ideology that encompasses the world, and society as we know it. It can be seen every time we see a man think that it is okay to interrupt a woman or make a catcall or a sexist comment. It is seen through the numerous women that have been abused and harassed due to men exerting their power over them. It is seen through the boy that gets told to âman upâ when he starts crying because âboys donât cry.â It is seen in the media when women are belittled due to their weight, relationship history, and appearance, instead of their talent and skill. It is seen every time a woman doesnât leave their house at night out of fear that they won’t return safely. It is seen every time a man refuses to go to therapy because being vulnerable is ânot masculine.â Patriarchy affects us all and is something that once you see it, it cannot be unseen. We all face the consequences of what patriarchy does, and this fact needs to stop being ignored if we want to move on to a healthier and better world.
           Believing that women and men should not be equal either stems from misunderstanding the sameness of rights that are present, or simply just looking down upon women. A big argument for men and women not being equal is through stating that men are physically stronger than women, which causes people to question how can men and women be equal if they are of different builds. However, this has nothing to do with equal rights, or equality; it is all a false mindset to try and prevent women from the power that men have had all along. If two men were next to each other and one was stronger than the other, that does not prohibit the weaker man from having the same rights as him, so why should women have less rights due to physical strength or build? The rights of the sexes should have nothing to do with physicality, but instead focus on the ideology that everyone is a human being that deserves equal opportunity.
Discrimination towards women has been present since the beginning of time. The only reason there is to hate feminism is insecurity and believing that women need to be inferior because of societal standards unaccustomed to accepting women handling tasks in a stronger way. Growing up in a patriarchal society and having the foundational belief that men are stronger and superior seeps into the toxic mindset that women are not strong enough to carry themselves. This furthermore asserts the long-term and dangerous opinion that women shouldn’t be valued even though they have proven themselves time and time again.