By Agrima Arya
“Feminism is a social and political movement that advocates for the equality of sexes. It seeks to challenge and overcome gender inequality and discrimination, aiming for a world where women have the same rights, opportunities, and freedoms as men.” – online source. This is the textbook definition, but our understanding of feminism, as a nation, has been deeply flawed.Not superior to men, not inferior to men simply equal to men. It doesn’t ask for men to be undervalued or women to be overvalued. It's not about female superiority, nor is it about diminishing men. At its core, feminism champions equality – equal rights, equal opportunities, and equal respect for all genders. It’s not about imposing a specific lifestyle on women; that would be nothing more than a different form of oppression. Feminism empowers women to make their own choices without judgment or restriction.
The essence of feminism lies in the principles of “equality” and “equity.” It’s about ensuring that a woman who chooses a career isn’t ridiculed, just as a man who chooses to be a primary caregiver is equally respected. The unfortunate rise of “pseudo-feminism” has distorted this core message.
Do women need men for survival? In many ways, yes. But the societal construct of male-female dynamics has often been skewed. We’ve misinterpreted these dynamics, leading to an imbalance of power. Feminism simply asserts that a woman’s choice – whether it’s to pursue a career or prioritize domesticity – should be respected and valued. The fight for Feminism is to have a world wherein a women who chooses to NOT do the chores is respected and acknowledged as much as the one who decides to be involved in the domestic world instead. Feminism is a practice that offers choice and doesn’t impose itself for the society to adopt. Even in the status quo, women have made it to the workforce, they’ve joined the armed forces, they’ve ventured into politics. Each of these women are trying day in and day out to make the evident difference between genders become negligible. But at the same time, we’ve a huge number of homemakers who could not avail these equal opportunities. The tragedy lies in the fact that many women haven’t had the luxury of choosing. They were never presented with the option to balance career and family, to prioritize their own ambitions. They were never provided with a choice to choose between home and work, kids or clients, husband or the world. These women, who yearn for freedom and equal opportunities, are the ones who truly need our support and advocacy.
‘Trad women’ who willingly embrace traditional roles, who find fulfillment in domesticity, should be respected and left unbothered. This isn’t about “tradition”; it’s about acknowledging individual choices and respecting diverse paths. Feminism, at its heart, is about empowering individuals to make their own choices and live authentically, regardless of gender. That’s not traditional way of thinking, that’s infact a normal way of thinking.
By Agrima Arya
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