#10 - Feminism ≠ Misandry

- February 23, 2022

If you have stumbled on certain Feminist corners of the internet , you must have come across a word "misandry" . So maybe you might not be knowing about it so let me tell you , It means prejudice against men . In ancient greek , 'mis' means hatred and 'andro' means men.

Recently, the statement “I am a feminist” has become synonymous to the statement “I hate men.” The mere idea of feminism is being misconstrued as the idea of hating men. It’s become a widely spread belief that feminism represents the idea of switching the power structure so that men are on the bottom and women are on the top.In brief its a very common misconception that feminists are misandrists.

SO WHAT FEMINISM REALLY IS ?

It is a very complex set of ideology which seeks to achieve equal rights without any discrimination on the basis of gender in every speheres , be it economic , social , political or religious .Feminists do not seek to oppress men. Rather, they seek equal compensation, opportunities, and treatment across genders.

According to available vedic literature, in early vedic age woman enjoyed a position of respect and esteem but there was a gradual decline in the status of woman in later Vedic period.The birth of daughter in the family began to be looked down upon. The system of dowry also came into practices . Texts also advocated marriage of girl before puberty and laid numerous restrictions on woman with regards to marriage, education, inheritance etc. These factors gradually led to the decline in the status of woman during the subsequent period.Also to mention , one of the first feminists of India was a male , Raja Ram Mohan Roy . He crusaded against Sati and child marriage , and stood up for women's right .

In today's time Indian laws on rape, dowry and adultery have women's safety at heart, these highly discriminatory practices are still taking place at an alarming rate, affecting the lives of many today.Also Some men's advocacy groups have complained that the government discriminates against men through the use of overly aggressive laws designed to protect women.

We need to remember that while talking about human rights, it is important to know that feminists address the suffering patriarchy continues to cause. It is for the eradication of this suffering that we need feminism. Misandry or man-hating has nothing to do with it.Both men and women should support gender equality.