Feminism – This Web Comic Tells You What It Is Really Is All About

Think you know what Feminism is about?
 

This sketch from a popular web comic Sanitary Panels beautifully describes Feminism. Often misunderstood as an anti-men rally, feminism has always been about granting women equal rights. It demands treating women as ‘People’ who are normal human beings. I believe treating someone with respect and as your equal, irrespective of race, class, or gender is a basic courtesy that we must extend to everyone.
 

The idea of feminism arose in the early 18th century when Mary Wollstonecraft wrote The Vindication of the Rights of Man, demanding equal rights for women in politics, education and society, among other spheres. Since then, feminism has evolved to include the concerns of women of all classes and countries, but the core if it, to treat women as people, still stays the same.
 

On gender bias and sexism
 

Gender bias is deeply rooted in the vitals of our society. As an Indian woman, if you choose to stay out till late night, wear western clothes or decide to live independently, you are automatically assumed to be in the wrong. For instance, when women in Bangalore were molested on New Year’s Eve, they were blamed for staying out till late at night. The Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker in a recent political address compared women to ‘taxis,’ who stay safe when they are parked at home.
 

Thus, the mentality that a woman is born solely to perform domestic duties and needs a man for her protection still exists. People rarely say, “Respect woman, for they are humans.” Their idea is that women should be respected for they are somebody’s mother, daughter or sister. It is high time we understand that a woman has her own identity.
 

Are you a feminist?
 

Now that we have understood feminism, ask yourself - Are you a feminist? Do you believe in equal pay for both men and women? Do you believe a woman can have a career just like a man? Do you believe that a woman can have her own life? If yes, then you are indeed a feminist, irrespective of your gender.

Written by Sonalika Arora