Feminism
is a concept that promotes the idea of equality between the sexes in such a way
that advances both males and females in society. It has been promoted for many
decades, and became known as an essential means of making sure that women were
liberated from the physical and mental enslavement that they have been
subjected to. In this paper, there will be an analysis of the various aspects
of feminism and how it has become an essential part of the development of the
relationship between the sexes in the contemporary world. This analysis will be
conducted in the context of justifications of male dominance, misconceptions of
feminism, its commercialization, and finally, its liberalizing aspects.
One
of the most important points concerning feminism is that despite its presence,
and its role in the improvement in the circumstances of women, the latter are
still considered subordinate to their male counterparts. This is especially the
case where in most jobs as well as political positions, men remain dominant to
such an extent that they have essentially promoted a society that is
patriarchal. Women continue to earn less for the same jobs as men despite
putting in the same time and effort and this is a situation that shows that
despite the advances made by the ideas of feminism, a lot of the rights of
women are still taken for granted in society. There has continued to be a
justification for male dominance, as seen in situations where women are still a
minority in some professions (Steinem, 1978, p. 338). Moreover, despite claims to
the contrary, women are still being treated as subordinate to men and are often
denied positions that they could handle well just because of their sex.
Therefore, because women are still essentially considered to be outsiders, albeit
unconsciously, feminism still has a role to play in society because it will
help bring an end to the prevalent prejudiced behavior against women.
Throughout
its existence, there have been misconceptions about feminism. These
misconceptions have been informed by the idea that feminists are women who seek
to overthrow the laws of nature that make them subordinate to men. Moreover,
there has been the belief that feminists are essentially women without any
desire for sex, or have masculine attributes which hinder them from becoming
proper women (Valenti, 2007, p. 3). However, these misconceptions are not true
because feminism is a movement that has sought to bring about the liberation of
women. Furthermore, it has played an important role in making sure that there
is the advancement of equality for all individuals in such a way that does not
discriminate between men and women or male and female. In addition, the idea
that feminism involves only women is wrong because this movement has also
involved men that promote the idea of the liberation of women. Thus, it has
become essential to ensure that there is the advancement of means through which
to make it possible for individuals in society to come to terms with the
powerful role of feminism. The achievement of this goal would go a long way in
helping individuals, men and women, recognize the worth of equality.
Feminism
can be considered a means through which women have been able to achieve
liberation from patriarchy. In the contemporary world, there is more respect
for women in society than was the case at any other time in recorded history.
This is a sign that feminism has played a role in making sure that women are
aware of their rights, and has encouraged individuals in society to embrace
equality and make it a central part of culture. The idea that women were
supposed to be reserved as well as subservient to the whims of men in their
society has been challenged by feminism, which has ensured that the voice of
women is heard. This is especially the case when it comes to such taboo
subjects as menopause and menstruation, which were essentially never talked
about in public. The achievement of this goal cannot be underestimated because
it shows that most individuals have been able to come to terms with reality and
have sought to rid themselves of the stereotypes concerning women.
Despite
feminism having undergone a period of vilification in the 1980s, in the
contemporary world, it has once again become a strong movement. This is because
feminism has become heavily commercialized in order to cater to the demand of a
considerable number of feminists, both men and women, in society. A result has
been that there has been the advancement of the feminist cause by celebrities
as well as major brands to such an extent that it has become one of the
mainstays of advertising and marketing in general (Zeisler, 2016, p. xi). Because of these actions,
women have once again been able to gain the courage to become more active
members of society. In developing countries, where women tend to live in a
worse situation than men, they are increasingly becoming important players in
their societies. In addition, the feminist movement can be considered
responsible for the advancements that have been made by women in the political
life of many countries in the world, as seen through the election of Angela
Merkel as German Chancellor in 2005, and the candidature of Hillary Clinton for
the presidency of the United States in 2016. These achievements have shown that
women are no longer a background for a male dominated society, and are instead
willing to rise and take their rightful place within it.
In
conclusion, since its beginnings, feminism has come a long way towards bringing
about the liberation of women and the achievement of equality in an essentially
patriarchal society. It has acted as an important force when it comes to making
it possible for women to become more involved in the public life of their
respective societies, as seen in the example of Clinton and Merkel above. It
has also become an essential part of making sure that most individuals come to
terms with the fact that women can no longer be left behind.
