BY: Irene Cho

Edited by: Pruthvi and Namitha

“Feminism is the radical notion that women are human beings.”― Cheris Kramarae

“Feminists hate men.” This dogmatic statement has got to be the most common misconception about feminism that I have heard throughout my 15 years living as a female. The moment bigoted people hear

the word “feminism” they automatically assume that women want to rule the world or are homosexual. These individuals fear that they will end up in a society where women will subdue the men and loathe this idea. Hypocritically, they blatantly ignore or are completely content with the patriarchal society we have lived in since the beginning of human existence.

Despite contrary beliefs, feminism is not about wanting to be better than men. It was not created to instigate a negative reaction from the males of our world. Conversely, the idea of feminism started in the early 1700s when women like Olympe de Gouge and Jane Austen advocated for what we call the most fundamental human rights, equality. Much like the modern version of feminism, this included fighting for education, voting rights, a voice that men in the patriarchal society have kept mute. These activists tried everything in their power to shift the image of weak, fragile, baby-bearing ‘property’ to an independent woman who can voice themselves in public.

Modern-day feminism embodies a similar ideology. Everybody is deserving of equity and equality, regardless of gender. What many men, and some women, fail to understand is that feminism is also about men’s rights. The twisted concept of gender roles and stereotypes exists due to patriarchy forcing men to abide by the masculine, 'breadwinner' image that society has constructed. This is why we find it odd when we see male nurses and secretaries since those jobs are generally considered “female jobs”. Vice versa, we have yet to get used to the fact that women are fully capable of becoming CEOs of their own companies. Not all women rely on their husband’s money nor do they have to stay home and take care of the children.

Misconceptions are the reason why men who support equality have avoided calling themselves a feminist. When the German population took a survey (Statistica) asking if they were feminists, less than a third of the women surveyed said yes and even fewer men articulated that they were. However, when asked if they supported gender equality the numbers immediately spiked, with 70% of women and 60% of men agreeing to the statement. The modern definition and portrayal of feminism have

spiraled to reflect an image that is ambiguous even to those that support their ideology.

That being said, feminists are not women who are not overreacting. Famous celebrities including John Legend, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, and Chris Hemsworth have all spoken on this issue. Think about it this way, equality is a basic and fundamental human right of any gender, sexuality, and race. It is not a privilege that is kept away by the prejudiced men in our society. But here’s the real question, how long will it take for universal gender equality to be achieved?