Still, despite the many diverse attitudes feminism is still broadly defined as the support of women’s rights on the grounds of equality of the sexes. Feminism is therefore not a hatred of the male sex as many seem to believe, but a critique of the way patriarchal values are dominating in American society.
Feminism, Misandry, Sexism and Patriarchy The word ‘feminist ‘ to me means a person, not generally a woman, who fights for women and their rights, it means that a person wants equality for both men and women Feminism started out as a movement which helped women gain rights. It was a social, political movement and it helped women win the right to vote, and so it helped to decrease the wage gap at work, it helped women take maternity leave from work. Feminism helped women gain rights to work as judges, it inspired popular figures to speak about it, it helped women fight against the crimes and abuse etc. It was empowering and liberating when it made women realize that only they could control their lives, what they chose to work
According to Merriam-Webster, feminism can be defined as the theory of political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. By that logic, the feminist movement should be based on the equality of the sexes and not raising one above the other in the sociological sense. That should be a movement everyone, regardless of sex, should be able to agree with and of which to be a part. However, not all are agreeable to labeling themselves as a feminist. The feminist movement has a divided portrayal in the media, with celebrities both supporting and disapproving of the ideas stemming from the people in the movement.
It is undeniable that female empowerment is imperative. More importantly, the establishment of feminist movements has created a platform for women to assemble as a community to combat the patriarchal system that continues to exist in society. Consequently, women uniting to dispute sexism, acknowledges a component that can hinder their progress and success in society. Yet, this idea of feminism is over simplified, it disregards the diverse and intricate experiences women face in actuality. Therefore, the consequence of generalizing the feminist political practice results in an assumption that women uniformly experience a single oppression, this ignores the reality of the multiple oppressions women can encounter.
While, rejecting biological difference feminism undermined femininity and female interests thus led to the assumption of ‘being equal is being like man’. Femininity is missed by women’s movement. While feminism succeeded to establish the fact that women are equally human to men, the fact that women are also women; that is uniquely feminine- has been lost (Denison, p. 89) Oppositely, postfeminism embrace the idea of ‘unique equality’ and all things feminine. The new focus is emphasize “femininity as a means of asserting power since the feminine is equal to the masculine even though it may look different” (p. 89). Postfeminism seems to embrace feminine and masculine characteristic and differences.
Society encourages women to take on more male-like characteristics so they can become successful in the workplace. This encourages the ‘pro-woman’ tradition within radical feminism to advocate women embracing ‘their sisterhood’ rather than trying to become ‘more like men’. Some Radical feminists want women to be appreciated as different to men rather than the same as men, especially when it comes to the unique qualities they can bring into a work environment. This shows how radical feminism tackles all walks of life which supports the argument that it is defined by ‘the personal is the political’. To conclude, feminism is an ideology that is varied in aims but most importantly, reflective of the times when they were most prominent.
Women still struggle against ingrained societal bias that limits their potential, although it is evident that in terms of ability and potential, women are the equals of men. Liberal feminism calls for equality between men and women, which is what Mill was advocating. In the recent years, the society has made significant progress towards an equal society where men and women have rights. Women can work and men are sharing domestic roles in the marriage. However, according to radical feminism, the progress made is too little and has created more problems for women.
• Feminism is about contesting systemic inequalities, and seeking equal treatment and opportunity for both genders. • Feminism is not against marriage but respect individual informed choice and does not believe in double standard in judging a person’s conduct. • Feminists acknowledge that equal rights translate into equal accountability. Although feminism continues to be non-monolithic and contentious, it has made several progress and created new worlds of possibility for working women, education, empowerment and even arts. For many, feminist movement is about giving women liberty, equal opportunity and control over their own destiny.
Feminism is the advocacy for women’s rights and their yearning to be equal to men. The application of Feminism within: “Honor to Us All”, “I Hear America Singing”, and “Lamb to the Slaughter” reveal that women are expected to follow through with their stereotypical roles in society of being the beautiful housewife, or the baby
, Misandry, Sexism and Patriarchy The word ‘feminist ‘ to me means a person, not generally a woman, who fights for women and their rights, it means that a person wants equality for men and women so that the world can be in balance. Feminism started out as a movement which helped women gain rights. It was a social, political movement and it helped women gain the right to work, then it helped lessen the pay gap at work, it helped women get maternity leave from work. Feminism helped women gain rights to work as judges, it inspired popular figures to speak about it, it helped women fight against the crimes and abuse etc. It was empowering and liberating when it made women realize that only they could control their lives, what they chose to work