Daily Times

What is Feminism? Different people have different opinions about it. Often, people get frightened with the word and hold negative attitudes and misunderstandings. Most even become disgusted while hearing the word. They think they belong to liberal women, desperate to break all religious and social barriers, who do not wish to take care of their homes or children. Every social prisoner just wants to live his life and hate men. This is wrong.

The hypocrisy of our society is it speaks of religion, values, tradition and respect for women, but the process is zero. In fact, despite being among the ummah of the Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah Be Upon Him), women are unsafe in our society. Whether it be a little girl, a student, a housewife or a working woman, she faces some kind of discrimination and harassment everywhere, from the streets to the public transport and from the seminaries to the offices. Most people forget about religion, values and society.

Undoubtedly, our society is patriarchal. Every decision is made by males, not females. But have we ever thought about the undercurrent of these visible notions?

The deciding power lies neither in males or females but in power.

Power idealises what should be done or undone.

The slogan of “My body is my will,” does not make any sense because a man, with a low mindedness, does not care how much he has hidden. When women, who have been seduced by lemons and lullabies, ever come to Satanism, their curiosity is aroused by seeing women wrapped in burqas and shades.

What is the solution to this question is a very difficult question because it requires an age of mathematics to open the mind and change thinking, which is possible only after positive and balanced training of our children, especially sons. The definition of feminism holds that while physically the female gender is fragile, their hearts and minds are the same as those of men. Feminism is, in my view, the right to like, dislike, speak, think and give opinions. The respect and distinction would force a girl in a class full of boys to think ten times in front of a lot of passions, even if she was offended.

Feminism is, in my view, the right to like, dislike, speak, think and give opinions

A woman who comfortably goes to the market does not suffer from the fear that men will pass her unnoticed. The same woman also has the mind, heart and temperament and hobbies to think about it when she comes to the office of a pregnant woman or if a teacher comes teaching a class full of boys. Her words and sounds should be given the same honour and dignity, to which he is entitled. A female driver should not be seen tearing up; using tactics to degrade her gender without cause. That’s what the average woman of our society wants, that’s all there is to find.

About the “My body is my will” slogan, brother, why do you need to be a policeman of Allah Mian? Allah will reckon with His servant. All of the “wrongs” have their standards. It is good to wear modest and concealed clothing, but this is not an argument for protection in our society. Weigh everything that you think is right. Whoever can forgive a prostitute for watering her dog alone does not need the quality of the people, and he knows how and when to get guidance. We must keep a watch on our hatred and judgment.

Feminism is all about equality and equity.

If it must be avoided, the meaning and message are not that of isolation or hatred of men but the fight for the rights of females as well as males.

We have witnessed the plight of feminism. Feminists are trying to create a separate world where only they go to malign males and lament the patriarchal society.

In this way, males who want to be the part of their energy and struggle refrain from the organisation but the females don’t even like to take them on board. This is where the mistake is committed.

Isolation and segregation, keeping you away from the mainstream, make feminism something different and create many misunderstandings amongst the stakeholders of society.

It’s beyond the shadow of a doubt that the women representation is very less. The plight of females is deplorable.

The women folk has been ground since time immemorial. She has been dealt with as the status of chattel. Newspapers are teemed with the reports of little girls and women being raped, axed, attacked with acid, beaten and made to be a part of bonded labour.

Here, this must not be forgotten that an equal number of little boys being molested, tortured and abused labour and bonded brick kilns enforced work.

Exploitation is that of both genders. Here, the issue is not which gender is exploited? But we should adequately understand the power. Power corridors can reside in the hands of male or female.

Feminism was a movement to empower the equality of females and the right to vote.

Emma Watson, a famous film actor, while speaking on the topic of feminism in the UN, said, “Feminism is not what women today are portraying. A woman has never been free in history, in any country of the world until this present time. If females gather and oust out males, how can the Case of feminism be resolved? We need to address the issue of deprivation and destitution equally for males and females.”

Objectification, stereotyping and diminution are all around. Those who are less privileged and those who are dependent are being stereotyped.

Out of every six females, one is sexually abused, but out of 33, every boy is sexually abused.

Those women who get a good education and earn handsome money, become powerful but then start misusing power; only to exploit both dependent males and females.

We have witnessed many incidents of domestic violence where women succumbed to torture. Yet, at this point, we should not ignore the innocent maids getting tortured, beaten and burnt to death by well-educated ladies of posh areas.

How can we all forget the picture once gone viral where a religious family was taking meal in a restaurant and nearby, an innocent maid was sitting in their feet!

It’s the power that decides equality or inequality; not the gender. Agreed, most power belongs to men.

Now, the western world is fighting some of the feminist rights, which we can’t even afford. We need self-determination and freedom of speech for both males and females.

Crime takes place due to the absence of law. We have laws for women protection. We have constitutional rights for females, but who would implement those laws. A very small female literacy rate depicts the plight of gender inequality in our country.

There are few bourgeois women, who, in air-conditioned rooms, discuss the issue of downtrodden women. Girls in far-flung areas of Pakistan become preys of tribal clashes.

The reality is very pathetic.

Engeoisation has deteriorated the case of women who need help.

The government must take the issues of bonded labour, domestic violence, child marriages and the forced conversion of Hindu minor girls. In our country, feminism is just to kill time and vent hatred for males.

If women take the victims onboard without any discrimination, there can be good results.

No doubt, there remain numerous challenges for feminism, if you rationalise, you can make the difference.

Wearing male clothes and playing cricket are cosmetics, not real solutions.

The writer is an Assistant Professor (English) at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro