My intention is to use this piece to correct some misgivings and misrepresentations of feminism. It is my hope that this work will properly define the concept and correct the numerous misrepresentations.
In some societies, discrimination based on sex is rampant. There are certain things that are for men only. A lot of African societies are against gender equality, which means they made certain things the exclusive preserve of a particular gender. In Nigeria, for example, especially some communities situated in the southern region, inheritance is patterned along the masculine descent, which means only those that are related in terms of the father figure of the family are allowed to inherit anything. In other African societies, there are certain cultures that target women.
WHAT IS FEMINISM?
Feminism is a range of political movements, ideology and social movements that share a common goal: to define, establish, and achieve political, economic, personal, and social rights for women. This includes seeking to establish educational and professional opportunities for women that are equal to such opportunities for men.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminism
WHO IS A FEMINIST?
A Feminist is someone, either male or female – who believes that it is wrong for women to be discriminated against, politically and culturally. For feminists, every human person is entitled to equal treatment in terms of the execution of government policies and cultural practices. It is the position of feminists that the woman and girl-child are not second class indigenes/citizens in the community or the nation.
THE REASON BEHIND FEMINISM
Feminist Movement campaign to abolish every form of discrimination against the woman and the girl-child. They (feminists) believe that every child, not minding its gender, is supposed to be treated as a higher animal worthy of respect. It is also correct to see feminism as a reaction against societies that are patriarchal.
They try to correct the ills of the following;
A patriarchal society: a patriarchal society is one that gives more respect to men.
Misogyny: a misogyny is a man that believes that men are superior to women. It is directly related to masculism, which is the act of structuring a society in terms of men.
Feminism is thus a vehement reaction to misogyny and others. Theirs is not a viewpoint that undermines the man, but rather one that corrects the imbalance in the society, although there are extreme cases of feminism that is supremacist.
SHADES OF FEMINISM AND SOME MISCONCEPTIONS
Feminism is divided into two. We have the liberal and radical feminism. The liberal feminists are those men and women that hold that every form of mistreatment meted out to women in the social and economic realms of the society should be abolished and replaced with gender equality. Yes, soft feminists are advocates of gender equality – an outlook that holds that men and women should be seen as equals. For the soft feminists, cultural and political practices should be reviewed and made to provide a level playing ground everybody irrespective of his or her gender. It is a reaction against female genital mutilation, enslavement based on gender, government policies that favour men and boys etc.
Radical or extreme feminists, on the other hand, are those women who feel that WHAT A MAN CAN DO, A WOMAN CAN DO BETTER. For them, a woman is superior to a man, since she passes through a lot in life. For such women, the mere fact that a woman conceives and puts to bed after 9 (nine) months, with its attendant stress and pains, is sufficient reason why a man should be a woman’s subordinate. For some, the need for a man is not even considered, making extreme feminism the main reason behind CELIBACY. A wife should note that her primary duty is to tend to the domestic needs of her husband. Her husband, on the other hand, should also note that his wife is more than just a domestic attendant. She is a mother, a teacher, a trader, a confidant, and much more. The woman is not competing with the man and she should be submissive to her husband, except he treats her with disdain.
CONCLUSION
Feminism, as a reaction to mistreatment of women in the society, is a good thing. It is my position that no human should be dehumanized because of his or her sex. Man and woman complement each other. No one in a functional and progressive relationship should feel superior. Feminists should also be wary of pushing their protest to the extent that they begin to feel they are better than their male counterpart.
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