You must have seen people complaining how feminism has affected men and how feminism has destroyed Indian culture. It makes everything so confusing since everyone has their own definition of feminism. Even the definition among dictionaries varies. There are multiple articles on Wikipedia that enlist multiple types of feminism. So it is easy to get confused on topics that are being discussed by everyone yet no one has any clue about its original meaning. What does liberal feminism mean? let's explore.
What Is Feminism? Why Does It Even Exist?
The inheritant difference between men and female :
People with male-sex born with testes that produce a lot of testosterone. It has multiple functions in the body. But it also increases muscle mass, bone density and provide core strength to these males. unlike male people born with female sex carry female reproductive system. Which despite being crucial for human race survival makes women relatively more vulnerable than male counterparts. No amount of hubbub of radical feminists can change the fact that men in general are stronger than women.
Sex experience from "sex" perspective :
Both the sexes experience sex differently. Men build-up their sexual tension relatively faster thanks to the high androgen rush than women. The rate of achieving orgasm in men is very high (specially young adults) and have the guaranteed orgasm with ejaculation (in healthy male). Unlike men, women have poor sex sensation (barring few horniest women out there) and hence need stronger stimuli for building sexual tension. A pair of hanging breast is enough to arouse a men but women usually need more than an erect penis. Men sexuality is driven by animalistic nature while women's sexual behavior is driven by natural evolution and thousands of years of traditional conditioning.
Historical perspective :
Men went for hunting and gathering while women were used as breeding member of the tribe during hunting and gathering time. Women and older men stayed home while men went out for more riskier tasks. Though this safety of this particular sex comes with one drawback that women are put below the men in sex hierarchy. In large part of human history women did not have equal rights as men. The stereotypical feminine behavior was associated with delicacy and weakness while masculine behavior is perceived as dominating and decisive.
India, Women and Past :
Traditionalists proudly boost that India was one of the most prosperous nations in the history. There is a reason why India being prosperous nation in the past was not safe for women. In India women were just objects to be used. Unmarried and married women used be considered the property of their father / husband.
Sati Practice :
Once husband dies, her wife looses her right to live. She will have to prove her chastity by self immolating on her husband's funeral pyre. Girls were conditioned to accept 'virtue' of Sati from their childhood. Most women used to volunteer for this once their husbands die as widows were considered outcaste and leper. Some women were forced to practice Sati.
Fortunately Sati was not prevalent in all parts of India. Only small (yet significant) portion of India practiced Sati.
Women and Hinduism :
There are lots of challenges Hindu women have faced in the past. These include but not limited to :
- Dowry system
- Deprivation from education
- Limited property rights
- Sex discrimination
- Devdaasi practice - In which young women were donated to temples and they had to dedicate their entire life (voluntarily or non-voluntarily) to religious cause.
- Child marriage
Women and Islam :
- Honor based violence : Muslim women involved in interreligious marriage were punished by stoning them to death.
- Sex Slave tradition : Many wealthy men used to have multiple sex slaves as it was permitted by Islam.
- No property right : On false ground that women are intellectually inferior than men, women cannot own properties without the partnership of a male (usually her husband or father).
- Muslim man could legally divorce her wife/wives by proclaiming three times consecutively the word talaq (the Arabic word for "divorce"). Once she is divorced she is pushed out of the house by her in-laws. In most cases her own parents disown her as she is now widow. Within a day she is on the street after the divorce. This was practiced until recently Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) banned this practice.
Women and Christianity :
- Witch hunting : Those women were deemed too powerful or women who voiced for equal rights were publicly prosecuted.
- Bodily autonomy restriction : Christian women were not allowed to abort their pregnancy even if child is result of rape crime.
- Subhuman treatment : Women were not allowed to hold any higher position in church as they believe women have inferior intellect compared to men.
Although once Hindu code bill was passed, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist women got few pending human rights which include :
- Equal rights in property
- Marriage and divorce right
- Right to maintenance and financial support
- Guardianship rights
Present India :
Despite progressive amendments in laws, peoples' attitude towards women has not changed much. Dowry system is still prevalent in India. Despite the fact that dowry was a religious practice, Indian Muslim and Christians communities have also picked up many practices that undermines human rights of women. And many youngsters are becoming incel which was originated in the west. You must have come across word incel while surfing the internet. It is now categorized as terrorism. There are sexually frustrated group of men that couldn't get 'laid'. They blame their failure on women. If you will demand then I will write separate article on this 'incel' phenomenon in Indian context.
Muslim community in India has their own Muslim Personal law board under Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937. Because it based on archaic Islamic law (Sharia) it openly discriminates Muslim women. We are following thousand year old law system and still no ruling government has scrapped this act. Sisters inherit half of what her brother gets under this act in 21st centaury. Can you believe that?
Dowry in rural area is also very prevalent. Despite all the effort government is putting in fighting dowry, people do not want to change. A daughter's value in family is less than of a garbage. Her parents are so desperate to leave her that they pay their in-laws for it.
The onset of "alpha male" phenomenon indicates that we as a society have failed to properly nurture our young generation. Young people that fell into this alpha male types of theory have very unreasonable demands from women. Their complete understanding of female gender is skewed. These incels are in process of becoming terrorists. This is evident from frequent acid attacks on women. We live in a society where half of its population has no right to select or reject their life partner. Does it seem healthy?
The Future :
Women in present is still facing a lot of issues. Rape victims are still stigmatized. Women in many communities are still facing challenges. To prevent all of this, There are few things we can do :
- Uniform Civil Code : We should push for Unform civil code and abolish Muslim Personal law board.
- Strict action against gender crimes : There should be practical implementation of the law. Just passing bill in parliament is not enough.
- Educational and financial support : Usually victims of domestic abuse cannot escape because of financial dependence on their partner. This can be avoided by providing education and investing in their career.
- Bodily autonomy : Women should be given right to choose their life partner and reject the unwanted proposals. They should have right to abort unwanted pregnancy.
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