Feminism is a Spectrum

What comes to your mind when you hear the word “feminism”? Is it an idea associated with a woman who does not listen to men? Or a woman who independently manages all her affairs and claims she does not need any men in her life? Or maybe a woman who thrashes the existence of men and puts down all their efforts and only highlights the efforts of women? The word has become severely misconceptualized in the minds of many. There is a huge difference between feminism and misandry. While feminism advocates for equality, or rather equity, between the two genders, misandry is simply the hatred for men.

Feminism and misandry are two mutually exclusive concepts that are opposite to each other in every form. Feminism advocates for the equality of both genders, and therefore, engages in a consistent battle against the inherent patriarchy, especially those aspects that undermine the capabilities of women, whereas misandry is the hatred or contempt or prejudice against men. A lot of people nowadays do not advocate for feminism even if they believe in gender equality because their mind is shrouded in wrong notions about the idea of feminism. Contrary to popular belief, feminism is not an ideology that caters only to women, rather it encompasses radical thinking that aims to define political, economic, and social equality of both genders. The word feminism is derived from the Latin word ‘femina’ which means ‘woman’, and it was used for the first time in the late nineteenth century.

Misogyny and misandry both lie at the opposite ends in range from each other, between which lies feminism. But while the former two concepts are laid on the foundation of a profound hatred of various genders, feminism is laid on the foundation of altruism and upliftment of society as a whole. When men and women understand each other and work together in unison then only will we manage to create a better future.

A Glance of the Past

The feminist movement began as a liberal ideology where women demanded the rights to vote, inherit and own properties, and participate in public affairs. The first wave of feminism took place in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The goal of the first feminist wave was to open up opportunities for women and secure equal rights with an emphasis on suffrage. Most major Western powers gave in to the demands of women for suffrage, with Canada being the first one in 1970 and the United States being the last one to do so in 1920.

The second wave of feminism emerged in the 1960s which campaigned for legal and social rights of women. It focused on issues related to equality and discrimination and sought to end the legal sex discrimination and provide women with equal opportunities in the workforce. The wave began in the United States and then spread to other countries where the movement took a personalized form in each place pertaining to the prevalent major issues for women there. For example, in Canada the wave focused on women's role in the workforce, equal pay, violence against women, and reproductive rights. The second wave ended in the early 1980s with the feminist sex wars and the third wave began in the early 1990s. The feminist sex wars were a series of ideological debates that marked the end of the second wave of feminism in the 1970s and 1980s. These debates centered on sexuality, pornography, and the sex industry.

The third wave of feminism began in the early 1990s and sought out to deal with the problems that were left undealt with in the second wave while addressing the challenges faced by women in the 1990s and beyond. The third wave was a period of political activism that sought to expand civil rights and social equality for women. Some key characteristics of the third wave include inclusion of intersectionality like race, class and gender intersecting, the fight for bodily autonomy like the choice of abortions, and the heavy emphasis on individualism as seen in embracing the ideas of individual leadership and personal development. The end of the third wave is still hazy because a few believe that the third wave is still ongoing, while others believe that it ended somewhere in the 2010s and the fourth wave began.

While we are on the topic of feminism, it is important to acknowledge that feminism is about having the liberty to choose.

As the definition of the movement has evolved over time it is important to remember that it grants women the right of making decisions and having to choose for themselves. The choice could either be sticking to traditional roles or choosing non-traditional roles for oneself. Choosing traditional roles would involve marrying early, choosing not to work, or being a stay-at-home mother, the roles which were already assigned to females before the existence of feminism. Whereas non-traditional roles are the ones that came into being due to the mass movements and years of struggle, like women being allowed to work alongside men, to vote, equal pay, acquiring wealth and inheritance rights.

It is not obligatory for every feminist to work a 9 to 5 job, and neither is it mandatory for a woman to become a homemaker . It is not necessary for women to acquire roles traditionally expected of men just to prove their worth. A woman’s worth is not defined by her demonstrating that she does not need men because she can do most of the things that men can do. The glorification of working women while looking down at homemakers has been unjustly portrayed by the media in recent decades.

People have a tendency to blame women who choose a traditional lifestyle of wasting the opportunities given to them. But having homemakers is as important as having women working alongside men. The amount of effort it takes to take care of a home and children is unjustly overlooked and the women doing so are not given the respect they deserve. It is the story of most households where stay-at-home women are accused of lazing around all day and not knowing the effort and hardwork it takes to earn a penny, whereas the everyday struggles of taking care of children and keeping the house in place while also feeding the family is neglected. It is necessary to understand that taking care of a house is a full-time job, from which women do not even get a break or a holiday; unlike the corporate diwali holidays, instead their workload increases during festivals or when their family gets sick.

Working women also deserve acknowledgement for the work done by them. In most cases women who work are expected to take complete care of the house after they come home from work, without their partner splitting chores with them. They then have two full time jobs which becomes extremely cumbersome to deal with, especially if they have children to take care of all by themselves. For most working women, the most frequently asked question for them is how can they be good mothers while having a job. The answer to that question is the same way men can be good fathers while having jobs. It is definitely noteworthy that children require a lot more attention and guidance from the primary caregiver for the first few years of their lives, but if both parents compromise and manage their time efficiently, it is possible to raise their children in a healthy way while neither of them forgo their careers.

The role of men here is to cooperate and compromise with their partners in their overall development and allow them to grow into whichever lifestyle they choose for themselves. If a woman chooses to work, the men in her life should split the household chores and provide her with the love and support she needs; whereas if she chooses a traditional lifestyle, that should not be looked down upon by the men as being lazy or the work done at home being less valued than the one done by the man.

No matter the occupation, women deserve respect for the work they do and it is not a competition between traditional and non-traditional lifestyles. Choosing a traditional lifestyle does not make a woman any less of a feminist. Glorifying one type of lifestyle while putting down another does not equate to a liberal feminist ideology. Both types of work and lifestyles are equally important for the betterment of society.

In conclusion, the idea that feminism is a spectrum means that women who acquire traditional roles can also be feminists and working women can also be feminists if they believe in the equality between both genders. Women do not have to acquire a particular role or aesthetic to fit into the group of feminists.

Aamna is a student pursuing Psychology Hons from Jamia Millia Islamia

Edited by- Nausheen Ali Nizami