Feminism In The Millennial World

“If you’re a boy, and you like teaching, you like nursing, or you would like to have a doll, all that’s okay… we should each be free to develop our own talents, whatever they may be and not be held back by artificial barriers at any cost.” - Ruth Bader Ginsburg, American Associate Justice

Feminism remains a term which produces mixed emotions on its usage. While for some it means empowerment, for the others it is cringe-evoking, as it has sadly been misinterpreted into “man-hating”; a misinterpretation that will only take us two step backwards instead of a step forward.

Here’s a simple breakdown of the term- It is a widespread social movement that actively promotes gender equality. It is a fight against gender-based discrimination that history has long been witness to. And it is not like only women benefit from them, society at large does. Gender roles affect men as well. For instance, if there is a pink for girls, there is a blue for boys as well. Stay at home husbands are still largely looked down upon, or even those men who help out in the kitchen are often called ‘henpecked’. “Boys don’t cry” or “Fight like a man” are all promoters of gender roles- which unfairly assumes certain attributes of and perceptions towards, a particular gender.

A prejudiced mind-set is harmful and affects our decisions in the real world. Gender pay gap, for example; is still a stubborn part of the economic sector. A woman doing the same job, working the same hours as a man, is often paid lesser, which is as ridiculous a prospect as it sounds.

India’s history has also been ridden with patriarchal norms and traditions. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, especially in Pune, one would notice a number of women in dark red sarees with their heads clean-shaven. These were widows, for whom society deemed unnecessary to look attractive. This custom, amongst countless others, may not be followed anymore, however it deeply reflective of a mind-set that a woman is entirely dependent on her husband, and after his death, her life is worthless.

One does not need to call oneself a hard-core feminist to help fight for gender equality. Simply be aware enough to discourage suppression of women in any form whatsoever; be it in the household or the workplace. Say a strict no to those often misogynistic, sexist jokes people love to circulate on social media platforms. The first step always starts with the self, society only comes next.

It has been found that gender equality is not only good for countries – countries that are most gender equal score the highest on the happiness scale – but is also beneficial for businesses. Indeed, the more gender-equal companies are, the happier the workforce is, increasing job satisfaction and raising overall rates of productivity.

It is saddening to note that no country around the globe can yet call itself a holistically ‘gender neutral’ country. Gender equality is not a privilege, but a basic human right. We build a prison for ourselves out of the hollow bricks of narrow and ignorant opinions. So next time, my dear reader, do not break the glass ceiling as they say, rather, shatter the whole thing down.