Being one of those desi feminists in sub-continent is no less than a challenge. Just tell people you believe in feminism, and they will respond you with a contemptuous scan from head to toe, accompanied with a smirk glaring enough to make you self-conscious.
Even in their quest to play down Desi feminists and to belittle the objective of this movement they come up with some absurd and ridiculous arguments. They laugh at desi feminists, as according to them they forgo all the privileges that they have as women, by choosing to be a feminist.
Why Desi Feminists Are Laughed Upon
Have a look at these logics and you will get to know how they further the cause of feminism.
No Ladies First Privilege
So Desi girls, once you are feminists you are no more entitled to Lady’s first privilege. Seriously…? Is that even a privilege. Like, no girl wants a man to open a door for her and let her go first only to check her from behind.
You Will Not Get A Front Seat in Hiace
There is no lack of social media memes ridiculing desi feminists that once the feminism is mainstream, you wouldn’t get the privilege to sit in the front seat of Hiace. Well, this is such an absurd and illogical objection.
Why women are supposed to sit in the front seat instead of sitting with the rest of the passengers. If the purpose is to offer them respect, then what is the guarantee that the driver will not misuse his position.
The goal of feminism is just to make people feel that men and women both are equal and women are not inferior. Usually, they are considered weaker to men and hence vulnerable to assault. Feminism implies an equality of genders and no woman will have an issue sitting in a bus full of male passengers if she is sure that her fellows are not considering her a prey but a citizen with an equal right to travel in public transport.
You will Have to get Your Dupatta Pecoed by Yourself
Have anyone given a thought to why girls can’t go at Peco shop, or why they hesitate to go to market for buying yogourt and other such stuff of daily use? The reason is that they are vulnerable to stalkers who can’t get their eyes off them while they are at public places. Unfortunately, instead of educating our men we have given them a free hand to stalk women. We have made our women dependent upon their male relatives. Feminism itself means that women can go out in public places and no one has right to stare them as if they are an object.
Manage Your Finances
Feminism is not all about women empowerment. It is more about gender equality. If it is about freeing women from societal pressures and sufferings, then it is also about liberating men from the burden of feeding the families. It is all about challenging those limitations in the form of pre-defined gender roles.
Also Read:
MeToo Movement: An Alarm for Patriarchy’s End or Spice for Tabloids
