FEMINISM : A VOICE AGAINST GENDER INEQUALITY
“Mahsa Amini did not die from blows to body,Iranian corone
said amid widespread protests”. Yes, ‘MAHSA JINA AMINI’, a young Iranian
woman,severely beaten and killed for not wearing a hijab in accordance with
governments standards.Amini’s deatyh resulted in a series of protests in
Iran.Has anyone ever thought what might these protests be called? Yes,Feminism!
Infact Katajun Amirpur a German-Iranian professor said,”In their struggle for
self-determination,Iranians are displaying a level of courage and cohesion we
have not seen before .That’s why the protests sparked by Jina Mahsa Amini’s
death are feminist.” Feminism in the 21 century is one of the most meaningful
movements.Why? Because feminism is what made us concious about our rights by
speaking against violence .Yes it is a loud shout against the injustice on the
basis of gender based inequality,oppression.From the beginning of the
civilization women has been manipulated when it was time to give them equal
opportunities.Thus feminism or the movement for equal rights began.
what is’’FEMINISM” ?
Feminism is a social and political movement that promotes
women’s rights on the basis of gender equality.The biological differences
between the sexes are not denied in any manner by feminism which instead calls
for equality in the social,political and economic spheres. And with time it has
progressed from being a critical study of gender inequity to more complex
investigation of the social and performative constructions of gender and
sexuality.A feminist issues aries if there is objectification,human rights
violations,stereotyping on intersectional oppression.
The principles
of ‘Feminism’
-Working to increase equality.
-Expanding human choice.
-Eliminating gender stratification.
-Ending sexual violence.
-Promoting sexual freedom
Women’s
movements and The history of Feminism
Christine De Pizan, an Italian author who produced a book about women’s status in society in 1495,is one of the erly feminist movements pioneers who wrote about woman as a group.She wrote against the prominent men’s writings on flaws and vices of young women and questioned if women were truly human at all or they are equivalent to animals. It seves as a wonderful illustration of the early stages of the fight for women’s equality.In later history women have been seen taken part in the French revoluyion from the very beginning .Since the turn of the century, feminism has been a growing movement in some regions of the West. Feminism saw four high points throughout its early years, known as "Waves.". The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the emergence of the first wave of feminism. Three hundred men and women came together to support the cause of women's equality at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, which served as the official start of the wave. The abolitionist and temperance movements were connected to feminism in its early beginnings, and it now gave voice to well-known activists like African-American Sojourne Truth (d. 1883) who cried out, "Ain't I a woman?".The second wave, which started in the 1960s and lasted into the 1990s. This wave developed alongside the anti-war and civil rights movements as well as the rising self-awareness of several minority groups all over the world. Sexuality and reproductive issues predominated throughout this time.Black power or efforts to end the war in Vietnam are two examples of things that were marginalized and less urgent at the time. Feminists responded by organizing. Second-wave feminism made an effort to fight social and cultural injustices even more. Although middle class white women made up the majority of the first wave of feminism, the second wave included women from lower social classes, women of color, and women from other developing countries who were looking for solidarity. Political activism during the third wave of feminism aimed to advance women's civil rights and social equality. It was the second-wave feminism's successor. Most people place the third wave of feminism between the early 1990s and the 2010s, when the advent of social media heralded the start of the fourth wave.The emphasis on women's empowerment, the use of online resources, and intersectionality characterize the fourth-wave feminism movement, which emerged around 2012. The fourth wave focuses on gendered norms and the marginalization of women in society in an effort to achieve greater gender equality.
Feminism in Bangladesh and Rokeya Shakhwat Hossain
When it comes to ‘Bangladesh’s women rights movements’, the prominent feminist Rokeya Shakhwat Hossain’s name comes to our mind .She was one of the pioneers of the feminist movement of this subcontinent.From the very young age she was clamorous about her rights.she was very active in the establishment of the women of her timeline,she founded the ‘Muslim Woman’s Association’ an organization that worked for women’s education and employment.The first attempt to unite women in favour of women’s education rights the Bengal women’s education that Rokeya presided over and it was held in 1926 I Kolkata. Now ,these days young feminists of our country are following her path to ensure fundamental rights of women of our country. As a patriarchal society women here had always been involved in fighting for legal rights.There was a time when woman had no scope to raise voice or they were scared of the consequences as a result victims had to suffer alone.But this scenario has changed a lot now .Women these days protest against the injustice .They make sure of their rights being taken seriously.They have formed so many organizations in order to ensure their rights and to bring justice for the victim of oppression under patriarchal society.’My body my rights-1990’ , is a great example .The activists of this country now fight for the economical injustice, transgender rights etc.As a result many trans are now getting opportunity for education and employment and so many social stigma is eradicating slowly from our society.
How feminism
is changing the world -
The world has changed because of feminism and it has made
people happier.Feminism vehemently opposes society systems and norms that
prioritize men over women. Equal rights and opportunity are key. Equal rights
for all people, regardless of gender identity, were nearly myths in ancient
society. This way of thinking was eventually altered by feminism. This movement
gave previously housebound women the opportunity to enter the workforce in
order to generate income and keep the economy afloat. The structure and ideals
of feminism also started to change throughout time. Women learned to be more
protective as they grew more honest about their abuse. Women used to be seen as
little more than machines for bearing children. However, the "My Body, My
Choice" movement has brought massive change in this sort of mentality.Moreover men now
believe in supporting their mother,wife,daughter and female friends.They
believe that all daughters should be well educated ,should have bigger dreams
and never be dependent on anybody.It is feminism for which victim blaming has
got reduced to half compared to decade before.Only because of feminism girls
can now ensure their fundamental rights.It is the reason for which child
marriage,rape culture in third world countries has reduced in numbers.
Why do we still need feminism in our society?
Although the globe has made great strides in the area of women's emancipation, discriminatory mentalities persist in today's society. For instance, a sizable proportion of men still think being a feminist is unmanly. Due to this concept, men who support their mothers, daughters, wives, or female friends keep their silence out of concern that they will be emasculated, derided, or outcasted. Worst of all, some males believe that granting women equal rights will only ensure that dominance continues. Also in third world countre rape culture and the justification for such crime gets supported even after such development. No one, regardless of gender, should have society tell them what to do and what not to do based on gendered standards, according to feminists.
If some males choose to weep, feminism will support that. If
some boys choose to learn how to shoot, feminism will support that as well. And
if some transgender people choose to run for prime minister, feminism will
support that as well.
Feminism is thus still crucial for ensuring support for women in developing nations and eradicating societal stigma.
References -
1. https://www.pacificu.edu/magazine/four-waves-feminism
2. https://opentext.wsu.edu/theoreticalmodelsforteachingandresearch/chapter/feminist-theory/
3. https://www.observerbd.com/details.php?id=57669
4. https://study.com/learn/lesson/feminist-theory-overview-beliefs-types.html#:~:text=Most%20feminists%20agree%20on%20five%20basic%20principles%E2%80%94working%20to%20increase,violence%2C%20and%20promoting%20sexual%20freedom.
About Nilonjana Mojumder : Nilonjana Mojumder is a Microbiology student currently studying in Brac University. She was born in jamalpur,Mymensingh.She completed her higher secondary examination from Shaheed Bir Uttam Lt. Anwar Girls College,Dhaka. She is passionate about classic music, animal welfare and travelling.
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