Feminism - NOT a dirty word

The Oxford dictionary defines feminism as 'a movement or theory supporting women's right on the grounds of equality of the sexes.' It's based on the rational notion that women are PEOPLE too.

When I go around telling people that I believe in a feminism, I get an uncountable number of 'Oh my gosh"s. They think feminism is a dirty word, a word so scum-like they wouldn't dare to use it. Somehow, there is a large amount of negativity associated with the word.

What they don't seem to realise is that feminists don't exactly go around kicking guys. This comment raises a myriad, "Yes. But do you really think that today's women are oppressed?" They ask me this. They do.  I feel that this question is the first sign that we are locked up, shut out from the real world because of the protective environments we grow up in.

I would have been too. Maybe I still am. All I know is that one of my best friends, she's a girl. Her family- they're one of the many urban orthodox. I know that her family doesn't care about what she does with her life, her academic pursuits, or her ambitions. If they could, they would get her married this instant to some stranger.

I have seen her struggle; cry, because no one cares. Cry, because her brother receives ten times the encouragement that she gets, just because he was born a boy.

And I don't get it. I don't get why people don't see all of this; don't hear about it. Is this world so deaf? Not a single girl child has been born in many towns in India for the last few years. AND any thought of God being a woman receives shocked looks from - everyone. I mean, what's wrong in just thinking that?

I have covered nothing, NOTHING, in the above few paragraphs. Even if I continued forever, I still wouldn't. I'm not saying that men don't have their share of problems. Nor am I saying that I want women to rule the world and be the supreme power. However crazy I might seem, I know where to stop.

No, all I'm saying is that I'm sick and tired of feminism being branded as a dirty and out casted word, I'm tired of the stigma associated with it. I'm tired of people not opening their eyes and seeing, truly seeing everything around them. This is where urban life falls way down. This is where our school-home-school lives become most pointless. TV shows are so far away from real life, it's not even funny. When we're on the computer, we're only on Facebook and YouTube. No one seems to know about the V-day campaign. Some people haven't even heard of Amnesty.

And no one even seems to care. This world is NOT full of clouds and bunny rabbits and rainbows and leprechauns.

I think it's time to open our eyes. I don't mean to offend anyone with my strong opinion on this subject. I know I will only be met with more weird looks than I already receive. I also want to say that people aren't crazy to go around campaigning for women's rights along with so many other things, if this world really is such a happy, 'equal rights and everything' place.

Don't get me wrong. I'm proud to be a girl. However much I may ramble on about this, I have grown up in a family where we are all treated equally. And, because of this, I didn't even start opening up and looking around me till recently.

Also, I do know that India is now being virtually governed by a woman. And America too, if all goes well. But, if women and men ARE treated equally, then the issue of a woman president wouldn't exactly create so many responses, would it?

Let me say that all I want is equality. I'm not desperate to be hated by the male sex; or the female sex, for that matter. Feminism has it's limits. All it calls out for is equality. No more. But no less.