Peculiarities of Feminism - Essay Example

Currently, feminism is a rather crucial matter, especially to women themselves (Paludi, 43). The reason that female oppression goes unnoticed among many in the community is the fact that women are not a minority group which makes it hard for many people to view it as a major issue.

Several feminist factions have come up over the years fighting to safeguard women on the same opportunities and privileges as men in society. Such include women being paid the same wage as men for the same job done, women, having a say in the policies passed by the government, and giving women an opportunity to expand their businesses and careers to levels they never could in the past. Feminism movements have received both negative and positive reactions depending on the social context and the nature of the individuals themselves. These reactions range from anti-feminists to male chauvinists to pro-feminists. To most people’s surprise, some men have recently come out fighting for equal rights for men in their families, divorce settlements, and in the anti-discrimination law.

According to Emma Watson, most people view feminists to be “…too strong, too aggressive, isolating, anti-men and, unattractive.” (United Nations, Para 2). This is often how men who are against the idea of female and man equality often perceive the notion. Recently, campaigns such as Women Against Feminism have come about which portray women fighting for equality to be man-hating. However, this is not the case. The main aim of the feminism movements that are underway all aim at ensuring that women get the same opportunity as men in the community.

Several feminist writers are in a pact that pinpointing oneself as a feminist is a strong stand that any man in the community can take against the fight over sexism. Men must be allowed to join the movement for feminism, which is the strategy that the UN is currently trying to incorporate in their recent campaign HeForShe, which purposes at galvanizing as many men as possible in the feminist movement.

In conclusion, it is important to note that feminism does not aim to undermine the gender differences that will always exist between men and women. A man can by no means be a worthy a mother as a female can. Similarly, a woman can certainly not be as worthy a father as a man can. Feminism simply aims at ensuring that both genders are respected and ensuring equality in terms of the opportunities and privileges that both sexes enjoy in the community (Paludi, 65). It is imperious that we appreciate that we are all humans, and it would be impossible to imagine the world progressing if we were to do away with one gender simply because they are often construed as weak and inferior to the other.