The word feminist has a clear cut definition: the belief that men and women should have equal opportunities. However, it is one word that has multiple definitions doing the rounds, and the problem is that many people seem to believe in those rather than in the original. From men haters to feminazis who hate everything pink, the definition is adulterated by almost everyone.
And it’s not just us Indians who have a limited definition. It is a globally misunderstood term.
Point in case is this 8th grader, Sophie from Ohio. A few weeks back she decided to wear a black t-shirt with the word FEMINIST to school. The day also happened to be class photo day and Sophie posed with everyone else. However, what she didn’t know was that her photo would be altered in the final draft, because her principal, a woman, finds the word ‘feminist’ offensive.
When Sophie went to the principal and asked her about this, Kendra Young, principal of Clermont Northeastern Middle School defended herself saying “the photographer called me and brought it to my attention and I made the decision to black it out because some people might find it offensive.”
Sophie’s mom Christine shares her story with Women You Should Know. “Sophie was not violating dress code, she was not inappropriately dressed. Being a feminist is not a bad thing. She should be allowed to express herself. She just wants everyone to be treated equally. That’s it. The end. She thinks everyone should be treated kindly and with love and that we should all have the same rights.
“Most people, especially in this area, seem to think feminism and misandry go hand and hand and that’s a common misconception. You can still love men and be a feminist. You can still be a homemaker and be a feminist. That’s where we are with this. We just want equality.”
This is something that can so easily happen in India. Just a week ago, I got a message from a friend. It was a picture saying, ‘If men call women sluts, they are pigs but if women call men womanisers, they are just being feminist.’ I couldn’t stop myself from writing back and clarifying – Feminism doesn’t mean that we hate men.
I am a proud feminist and no I don’t enjoy dissing men, I also do not enjoy mocking girls who do ‘girly’ things or take part in bra-burning activities. What I do, however, is correct people when they have such shallow definitions of feminism.
As of Friday, the principal apologised to Sophie and her mom. “I had a meeting with Mrs. Young today. She apologised to me profusely, of course, after the local news station called her this morning! She asked me if we were good? I told her she needed to apologise to Sophie and ask her that question. She seemed dumbfounded by that. So she called Sophie down to the office. She apologised to Sophie and asked ‘What do you want from this?’ Sophie replied, ‘I want everyone to realise that we NEED feminism. I want you to have someone come into the school and educate everyone about feminism. I want us to go to the news station together and show the people that we are working together to make this school and our community a better place for everyone. I don’t think that’s too much to ask,'” shared Sophie’s mom.
We certainly need a Sophie in Indian society too – someone who can come out and tell people that feminism is about treating women as equals, nothing less, nothing more. Not checking them out each time they wear a mini skirt. Not denying them a promotion just because they aren’t men. Just treat them as equals! Too much to ask?
Image courtesy: Instagram
More On >> Balancing Act
