Sometimes when I hear other people talking about feminism I can’t help but think that they’ve got it all wrong. Feminism is about equality, that’s true, that’s what we can all agree on. If people still think, feminists want women to have power over men, for them to be the superior gender, then they haven’t understood the concept and idea behind feminism. It is about equality and balance. Women and men should be treated equally, no gender should be above the other.
Now that’s not what I want to talk about. There are many feminists, especially the ones working on movies that just put a false idea into people’s heads that is so completely the opposite of what feminism should actually be about. Let’s talk about this basic “feminist” statement:
She’s the man
What does this statement tell you?
It is seen as something positive and admirable. The woman who acts like a man, she’s someone worthy of respect and admiration. The only way a woman can truly earn respect and power is, well, when she is not a woman. When she is a man. That is not feminism. That is pure sexism. This statement claims that “feminine” traits have no worth and value. They are useless and should be erased from humanity. Traditional feminine traits are for example sensitivity, empathy and kindness. But these traits are not appreciated by society, sensitive people are seen as weak and whiny and are not taken seriously. But they fail to realise that humanity only survived because we were willing to understand and sympathise with each other. So because women are generally more sensitive, they try to repress these qualities about them because the one’s with the most influence and power (who are most often men) tell us these characteristics are worthless. That forces women to fight every single “feminine” trait they possess and focus on their “masculine” traits since these are admirable and respected. But does that make women equal to men? When they act like men, when they adapt to men’s standards and internalize that misogynistic thinking? How often have I heard “strong” women talking so poorly about women who are in tune with their femininity, who are nurturing and like needle work and the colour pink. Do these women think they are better? Why? Because they act like men? Because they have internalized the patriarchy we are (still to this day!) living in? How often do I see actresses talking so proudly about the “strong” female characters they’re playing, the ones that basically just kick ass and kill people and have no emotional depth. They are proud because society put that idea into our head that those traits, the ones that make us offensive, egocentric and ruthless, are desirable.
You know what feminism is about? It’s not about “Women can be as strong as Men” but “Women are as strong as Men because they are Women” because feminine traits are as important and useful and valuable as masculine traits. And that is what we should achieve. That society finally realises the importance and value of femininity and appreciates these traits in all of us, women and men. That’s real equality and balance. If we balance the core, the heart of the problem. And that is the lack of appreciation for femininity. We have to start showing the beautiful, valuable and desirable sides of femininity, not just its flaws. And then we can say yes, men and women are truly equal because the traits in women, that were the real cause for inequality, are finally acknowledged and appreciated. I will wait till the day comes when a female character is seen as strong and valuable because she is understanding and sensitive and empathetic and in tune with her feminine side. That will be the day where the feminine and the masculine on the scales are on the same level, where equality is created.
Cheloneuniverse 