What is feminism in the 21st century
What do nigerians see feminism as? Are feminists tailoring feminism to suit their own selfish needs? How has the lack of feminism impacted certain societies?
The initial fight of our fore mothers have been lost.
At this point- feminism has been twisted, turned and cooked in a certain way to suit the average woman. I have seen several comments on feminism and I too am conflicted.
What is feminism?
The average Nigerian woman sees feminism as liberation, liberation from the household and the other room, she wants to be taken seriously- except when she wants something then she is no longer a feminist.
She will be bent over and screwed a thousand times all because she wants something from the society. Then she comes out to say she is a feminist without actually reading the manual on feminism.
Every Nigerian woman is a feminist but-
There is always a but.
At some point I gave up my position as a feminist- I was too embarrassed to be one, I could not understand the basis of Nigerian feminism and I did not want to be a part of it until i was sure of what i truly believed, because at the end of the day perception is all that matter.
What is feminism
According to IWDA, a proud feminist society;
Quite simply, feminism is about all genders having equal rights and opportunities.
It’s about respecting diverse women’s experiences, identities, knowledge and strengths, and striving to empower all women to realise their full rights.
Yes feminism is about all genders having equal rights and opportunities- but if we exclude one gender in our fight to utmost freedom what becomes the end? If there are potholes in this war then nothing will be fixed in the long run.
We need to realize that men are still traditional, they still want to be babied, some still do not have life skills to survive without women.
I can assure you that feminists in our days will train their children like our parents trained us.
If we do not pay attention to both gender, how can we achieve our goal of a utopian society?
The Middle East and the lack of feminism
In some countries in the middle east, women are still seen as “things" that should be kept in the house, they should not be seen roaming in the streets, they should not provide for themselves or their families, they are not allowed to vote, etc., therefore they do not contribute to the society except in the household.
The outcome? Homosexuality, infantophilia and paedophilia. Young boys are thrown out of their parent's homes to either fend for their families, some as young as 5 years, or to reduce poverty in their household. Some of these boys become male prostitutes to make money to eat or send home, some are raped by other male workers who are sex deprived (of cause their mental health need to be checked). Some of these men attributed this way of life to the unavailability of women to satisfy their sexual urges.
Who will fight for these young boys?
A man's view on feminism
The sole focus on female gender roles where there are gender roles are almost equally spread
I’ve never seen “teach your kids that providing financially for yourself is a basic life skill” from a feminist media. It’s pretty much just about advocating for female pressures solely
Now, I personally am traditional, so whatever feminism says doesn’t dictate my own values but still I take note of it
Well I know some feminist non profit organisations like WIMBIZ - women in management, business and public service that advocates for women to become top executives in their fields, to pursue certain careers that they are afraid to pursue because they are women, and offers mentorship and guidance.
But they are extremely few and I think we should put that on the top of our priority list.
If we do not have spouses that understand what we are fighting for, our goals can't be attained.
Survival skills
Personally I think feminism should be taught in high schools, but not to undermine the other gender. Both genders are different but that doesn't make one less equal to the other.
These Survival skills should be taught to both genders,
How to cook and clean
How to manage finances
How to be financially capable
How to change a car tire
The art of public speaking
Home repairs
How to iron
Women need to do better and stop pointing fingers. Humans have the ability to learn and unlearn, therefore, teach the men in your life what feminism is all about- true feminism.
All our effort to change the world will be in vain If people around us do not believe in what we stand for, including women who aren't feminists.
Do not tailor feminism to suit your own needs, that would mean you put other women who actually need feminism in danger of not being heard, of not being given the same opportunity as others.
Let us fight for what is right.
Great read. And the man who had the view on feminism was me 😌 glad I made some sort of sense