An Honest Take On What It Truly Means To Be A Feminist
By Yemi Kolo
Who is a Feminist?
What is Feminism all about?
Is every woman obligated to be a feminist?
Can a man be a feminist?
Feminism is the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of equality of the sexes. There are societies where women’s rights are abused and trampled on because they are women, there are homes where females are treated unfairly, there are homes where females have had to take the backseat on basic stuff so their brothers can enjoy the benefits because they are females and another man’s soon-to-be property. Just to name a few.
With all these, it is only natural a movement will arise, a movement (feminism) which advocates for women’s rights. A movement which has helped to liberate a lot of women and is still going forward to do more. But in every movements there are extremists, there are individuals, sects, groups etc who abuse and misinterpret the true purpose of a movement. These days the feminists that are seen and heard of are far from the true purpose of feminism. They have turned feminism into a war against men and their actions have led to the tag which is placed on nearly every woman who stands as a feminist. And the tag is “isolated bitter women and/or man haters”. This intention of this is not to degrade anyone instead it is a wake up call and reminder as to what feminism truly stands for.
So back to my initial question.
Who is a Feminist? A feminist is an individual who defends and fights for equal rights of a woman but I believe a feminist shouldn’t just fight, uphold and defend the fair rights of only women, but rather all humans.
What is Feminism about? Feminism is a movement that advocates for equal rights for women, it is a movement that speaks against the injustice done against the fair rights of women, it is a movement that seeks to uphold and protect the fair and merited right of women. It is not by any chance a personal vendetta against, it is not and shouldn’t be, it is not a war against men movement.
Is every woman obligated to be a Feminist? Personally speaking, I don’t believe every woman is obligated to be a feminist but the conscious in every human cannot turn a blind eye to injustice, so every woman isn’t obligated but every woman can be a feminist.
Can a man be a Feminist? Yes, a feminist is an individual (man or woman) who advocates for the equal and fair rights of a woman.
Hello, I am Yemi and I need not be a feminist. I believe in giving fair and merited rights not only to women but to every human, I believe in speaking and fighting against the injustice fellow humans suffer.