From its formation as a movement for equality, Feminism was embroiled in controversy in the media and everyday life. The term ‘Feminism’ and ‘Feminists’ often bring about a variety of images to mind that may not always be rooted in reality. Here are 5 myths about Feminism and why they’re simply not true.
‘Feminists hate men and believe that women should be superior’
Feminism is the advocacy for women’s and misogyny affected people’s rights on the basis of equality and thus doesn’t promote sexism against men or female superiority. It is a fight against the unfair systems in society that create inequality against women, often by privileged men. This is far from a clear-cut dichotomy as factors such as race, class, sexuality and so on, can interact to skew the pendulum of privilege anyway. For instance, a cis, straight, white woman might experience more privileged treatment in public spaces than a gay, black, trans man. At the same time, a man might be preferred over a woman (who may or may not be of the same ethnicity, sexuality or class) for a job that involves manual labor. Most feminists acknowledge this and work towards equality for women with an intersectional lens.
‘Women are now equal to men so there’s no need for feminism’
This myth stems from the idea that since a lot of countries today have laws that promote gender equality, and attitudes in general have changed, women are now equal and feminism has run its course and is no longer needed. While we have made considerable progress over the years, we are far from living in a utopian society. For one, the equality milestones that we’ve achieved such as paid maternal leave, access to quality education, etc are not enforced equally throughout the world, especially in developing and underdeveloped countries. Secondly, while changes in the law and people’s thinking are great steps ahead, there lies far more work to be done, even in wealthier nations with seemingly more gender equality. Examples of this include the #metoo movement, treatment of trans women, slut-shaming, sexual harassment etc.
‘Feminists are career women and don’t support stay at home moms or believe in motherhood’
Feminists believe that all women, whether they’re mothers, housewives, or professionals, deserve to be treated equally and have the same rights. Many feminists themselves are mothers who choose to stay home. Feminists agree that women should have the choice to decide what they want to do in life and if her choice is to be a housewife (and if she’s not forced or pressured into it, as is the case quite often) it should be respected and celebrated. In the same vein, being pro-choice does not mean that feminists are against motherhood. All women should have the right to choose if they want to have a child and if so when to have a child. Many feminists who choose to be childless support those around them that want and have children. Others may want children later on in the future when they’re emotionally, financially and physically capable of having a child.
‘Only women can be feminists’
Anyone who believes that women should receive equal rights and treatment can be a feminist, and this includes men. Men can be feminists by acknowledging how they can have privilege over women and use their position to call out other sexist men. And of course they can be feminists in the most obvious way, by treating women equally. That being said, a common phenomenon we see is how men who perform acts of gender equality, are put on the pedestal for doing the bare minimum. If this is their goal of being a feminist as a man, then it really isn’t feminism, and it is rather the hijacking of a movement for women and misogyny affected people to sling on as a superhero cape for attention.
Feminism can be a polarizing term and feminists are the butt of several stereotypical jokes. But it doesn’t always have to be that way. We can educate ourselves and those around us by focusing on what the movement is really about and by dispelling common misconceptions.
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