Feminism is unfortunately one of the most commonly misinterpreted and misconstrued words out there. Before I continue with this post, let's take a quick look at the definition:
fem·i·nism ˈfeməˌnizəm/ noun the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes When I read this definition, I personally can't think of a single reason not to support the very basis of the word. Equality is something that every person deserves, regardless of gender, race, sexuality, or any other label that we place on each other, despite the fact that none of these labels can be changed or chosen. This strive for equality stems from issues like the lack of female suffrage in the 19th century to the lack of legal education for women in many countries today. Feminism has evolved and is still evolving into new and improved forms as time goes on. Currently, women are championing intersectional feminism, an all-inclusive "update" of the movement, that reflects the views and struggles of all types of people. However, no matter how many updates we go through, some people are still stuck on iOS 2.4.1, or as they like to call it, "supporting traditional values" or "doing things the good, old-fashioned way." Don't get me wrong, it is okay to believe in both of those prior statements, but the problem arises when they are applied to something as straight-forward as wanting equal rights. Recently, I've been coming across headlines such as "I Am Not a Feminist, And That is Okay" or "Kellyanne Conway: Feminism associated with being ‘anti-male’ and ‘pro-abortion’." Not only do both of the women in these articles deface feminism, but they do so through falsehoods. Feminism isn't about being man-hating, anti-family, or anything else that isn't simply wanting equality. Sorry to break it to you, but without all of the work feminists have done for us so far, we wouldn't have a lot of the rights we take for granted today, This caricature of the "angry feminist" needs to go. Because in reality we're not just angry, we're infuriated. It's time to stop making assumptions off of stereotypes and preventing society from moving forward, simply because of misconceptions. The sooner we appreciate feminism for what it is, the sooner we can make progress. After all, the future is female. Happy International Women's Day! -Shruti
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In the wake of Donald Trump’s inauguration, thousands of men and women participated in the Women’s March. The protest was not limited to only the major cities of the United States, but rather occurred globally, even reaching parts of Antarctica. Protesters addressed issues such as the wage gap, sexist policies, and abortion. The Women’s March targets a flaw in our society- the lack of representation for females. Representation is a prime reason why protests advocating for equal rights are vital. When millions of people, all of different races, religions, and social and economic standings, come together as a community fighting for a single cause it shows that we are more than willing to demand the rights that have unjustly been taken from us. Sexism is an issue that plagues third-world and first-world countries alike. In some countries sexism exists in the form of a wage gap and the denial of certain positions under the pretense that women are not capable, in others it exists in the refusal of education for girls and a lack of choice. Although conditions have improved significantly over the past few decades, females are still denied basic rights. Time and time again, it has been made clear that females will continuously be denied these rights if we do not actively fight for them. Recent political events have left advocates for equality at a great disadvantage, we are a minority in the government. Without a strong position of feminism in the ruling body, the threat of an even more powerful patriarchy is imminent. Hundreds of years of progress are at risk and with every passing day a chance to equal rights seems to be moving farther and farther away. Our refusal to submit to regression is the only way to prevent sexism from becoming more acceptable in our society than it already is. For this reason, protests are essential to the survival of the feminist movement. Protests such as the Women’s March help to prove that advocates for equal rights will not stop fighting and help to cultivate a feeling of community and hope. By banding together, protesters show their strength and represent the views of millions of people worldwide, proving to the world that our voices will be heard. - Akshaya The topic of women’s rights within India has consistently generated discussion and garnered attention, in both negative and positive ways. Recently, the topic has once again gathered attention after the box office hit Dangal hit theaters. Dangal tells the story of two young girls from the state of Haryana who, against all odds, become national level wrestling champions. The movie is based on the true story, and focuses heavily on many of the misogynistic aspects present in Indian culture.
I won’t lie: this movie was delightful. Watching the two sisters-Geeta and Babita- struggle and fight and win against the patriarchy is incredibly inspiring, and it was beautiful to watch the movie call out injustice and misogyny. But I don’t think that we should remain completely uncritical of the movie. I think the most important aspect to address was the portrayal of the father. The story should have been about the girls and their struggle; but instead it was portrayed more as the story of the father’s struggle to train the daughters. Multiple times throughout the movie, the authority of the father in the movie was emphasized; a movie that was supposedly challenging the patriarchy, made sure at the end of the day, the plot would resolve once the girls listened to their father. This was obviously a money grab; at the end of the day, Indian movie producers still want to make money off their films, and they wanted to push boundaries; but not push them too far. This is precisely the problem; there is a lot that is inspiring about this story but unless we are willing to address the root cause of all this: the patriarchal family structure: women’s rights in India will not improve. Don’t get me wrong: the movie Dangal was incredible, and it was extremely liberal for the heavily conservative state of Haryana. But it’s important to remember that there are still ideas present in the movie; and in Indian society as whole; that need to be challenged if we want actual progress. And unfortunately, money hungry producers will only generate so much of a discussion. It’s important that we attempt to make a difference ourselves. written by Aditi Poduri India’s extremely patriarchal society has been in place since the creation of the social caste system hundred of years ago. But while the rest of the world’s societies are progressing and abandoning discrimination and harsh practices, India seems keen on halting any social progression towards equality. The topic of female child abortions, infanticide, and abandonment is one of the major results of India’s patriarchal society, and sadly is not getting the worldwide coverage it deserves. Modi is making a valiant effort to do so - the new "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" (Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter) initiative launched in January of last year has provided increased awareness and attention to this issue. However, the preference of male children over female is a stigma so intricately engrained in India’s society, that it'll take more than just awareness to solve it.
Female infanticide and feticide are practices that became increasingly popular during the 1900’s. Girls were either strangled to death or abandoned in the streets shortly after birth; in the case of feticide, deliberate miscarriages were orchestrated while the child was still developing. Selective-sex abortions became the preferred option after ultrasound technology became implemented in India in the 1980’s. A study found that around 12 million Indian girls were aborted since 1981 (The Lancet, 2011). This, in addition to the 2,000 girls killed as brutal acts of infanticide and feticide everyday, demonstrate just how dire this issue is. What's even more shocking is the demographic of people who believe in this discrimination and commit these acts against the female sex. A study of India’s 2011 census led by the University of Toronto calculated the second-born child gender ratio in families that had first-born girls. The general trend showed that the number of girls to 1,000 boys decreased by almost 100 between 1990 to 2005. What astounds most of us is that the killing of female babies is no longer confined to rural villages, but is rather more prevalent in more educated and well-off families. Is this truly the impact of westernization and industrialism on India? It's important to understand that the selective-sex abortions in India have no place in the argument between pro-life and pro-choice. The majority of these children were not aborted or killed because of an unwelcome pregnancy, but specifically because of gender. If these fetuses had been male, most would have been born and allowed to proceed to adulthood. And honestly, the western argument between pro-choice and pro-life seems to wan in the face of this mass foeticide, where millions of females are viewed as “burdens” even before birth. “UNICEF reported that 43 million of the estimated 100 million women worldwide who would have been born if not for extraneous circumstances, including gender-specific abortion, would have been Indian” (Frontline PBS, 2007). India is responsible for almost half of the missing women population across the globe. For all that the country is progressing in terms of global standing, the remains of an ancient society lie dormant but prevalent in the hearts of its people. A more industrialized, but still extremely patriarchal society remains to represent India in the twenty-first century. The world must learn to put aside its tradition of turning a blind eye to suffering, for the generations of girls that could’ve been. ~Rashmi As film becomes more progressive, it's exciting to see the Indian film industry taking a risk by speaking about issues that society has deemed as controversial or taboo. In the movie Kapoor and Sons, we saw the struggles of a closeted man to seek acceptance from his mother. Gay characters have graced Indian screens before, but rather than being portayed as outlandish and flamboyant or simply being used as comedy relief, this time we see the LGBTQ+ community represented through a talented journalist with a passion for spreading art. Movies have also been tackling gender roles for the last couple of years. In the new release Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Anushka Sharma's character is shielded and confident, while Ranbir Kapoor's character is more feminine and emotional. In the Telugu movie Pelli Choopulu, the female lead is a business minded hardworker. Sadly, she cannot seem to gain her father's approval, until the male lead explains to him that gender does not determine success and that his daughter is more than capable of supporting their family.
Just a few days ago, the highly anticipated biographical sports film, Dangal, was released. The movie outlines two sisters, Geeta and Babita Phogat, on their journey to win a gold medal in international wrestling. Their father, Mahavir Singh Phogat, a former wrestler, is unable to do so himself and decides that his son will fufill his dream. When he has four daughters but no sons, he is discouraged until he realizes that his daughters are more than capable of becoming pro wrestlers and that "gold is gold." The movie addresses the very issue that we feel so strongly about, the idea that women are nothing but a burden on their families. When Geeta and Babita feel that the training is too harsh and ultimately a form of punishment from their father, an eye opening conversation with one of their young friends who becomes a bride at 14, changes their mindset completely. She explains that what their father is doing is out of love and that they are fortunate to have someone who sees potentional in them rather than viewing them as something to simply get rid of when the time comes. Despite the dismissive and mocking remarks from the people in their village, the girls train extremely hard and make their way up to the national team. The night before Geeta's final round in the 2010 Commonwealth Games, her father reminds her that she must win not only for herself, but for every girl in India who is seen as inferior to boys. Geeta and Babita were not only able to open up the minds of the old fashioned families in their village, but were able to encourage a new group of girls to break social barriers and take up wrestling. It's too often we keep girls from fulfilling their full potential. By excluding them from certain jobs or deeming them unfit to play certain sports, we only further the gap that society has created between young boys and girls. Dangal is truly inspiring as it tells a story of overcoming social and physical obstacles, and how male or female, anyone can tackle their goals if they put in the work. - Shruti |
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