In a few days, the world will be celebrating the International Women’s Day (March 8) to recognise the contributions of women across all spheres, to advocate for women’s rights and to take action to contribute toward them. This is an important day for the world because gender discrimination — a situation where people, usually women and girls, are treated less well or denied their full rights based on their gender — is a widespread problem and we still have far to go in terms of women’s rights.

Today, let’s explore the concept of feminism so that all of us can better understand the issue of gender equality and take steps to make it a reality.

What is feminism?

Feminism is the belief that everyone should have equal rights and opportunities regardless of their gender. Simply put, feminism means a belief in gender equality, the belief that both male and females should receive equal treatment and not be discriminated against based on their gender.

Why should you care about feminism?

There are various ways in which gender inequality is affecting every individual of every age, even you.

For example, if you’re a girl, were you told that you can’t participate in a sport because it’s a “boys’ thing”? Did you ever feel that when you spoke up in class, the teacher barely acknowledged your answer whereas when the boys spoke up, they were praised and encouraged to speak?

If yes, you know what gender discrimination is, and you know why feminism is important.

If you’re a boy, did people ever make fun of you when you wanted to play with your sisters’ doll houses? When you hurt your knee or scratched your elbow, were you ever told that “Boys don’t cry”, when in fact the pain was so much that the effort to not cry actually made it worse?

If yes, you’ve felt the restraining influence of gender norms — what society considers male and female behaviour, and the roles males and females are expected to take in society — and you know why feminism is essential for every individual’s freedom.

Gender inequality is limiting the freedom of people to act as individuals; it is trapping them within a narrow range of behaviours when in reality we could all do so much more and be so much more, if we were free to act without the limitations imposed by gender bias.

Who’s a feminist?

It doesn’t matter if you’re a boy or a girl, a woman or a man — if you believe in gender equality for everyone, you’re a feminist.

 Nowadays, more and more people are embracing feminism. Some of the self-proclaimed feminists range from Barack Obama and Malala Yousafzai to J.K. Rowling and Ban Ki-moon. Can you think of any others?

What is the cost of gender inequality?

Women and men, girls and boys — we’re all human beings first and our gender is not what defines us, but our humanity does. The sad fact is, even though we’re born with equal abilities, we’re not treated in the same way or given the same opportunities. In some parts of the world — even in some regions of Pakistan — people do not rejoice when a girl is born, whereas a boy’s birth is considered to be a cause for celebration. This is unfortunate and unjustifiable because every human life is equally valuable, and every boy and every girl deserves their parents’ love and care.

Gender stereotypes — in other words ‘fixed ideas about men’s and women’s traits and capabilities and how people should behave, based on their gender’ — come into effect the moment we’re born. Boys are given toys such as trucks, action figures, Lego sets while girls have to play with dolls, tea sets and doll houses. Gender-specific toys — toys intended for either male or female — discourage girls from pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This is alarming because we need both males and females in these fields to expand the economy, create new ideas and things, and improve the quality of life. If we can break gender stereotypes and allow people to be freer in their choices, we can make the world a better place for each of us.

In the workplace, women do the same amount of work but they’re paid less than men doing the same work. Sometimes, they’re not even allowed to seek employment (which only makes things worse for a family by placing all the financial pressure on the men) because some people wrongly think that a woman’s place is at home. A woman’s place, or a man’s place, or any individual’s place is wherever they want it to be. But as long as gender inequality exists, we will not be able to make free choices for ourselves.

Likewise, millions of girls are deprived of their right to education, even though education is a fundamental human right of everyone and benefits not only the individual, but also the society at large. However, due to gender discrimination, we’re missing the contributions of millions of females all over the world.

Gender norms are also harmful to men, who are supposed to act tough all the time and hide their feelings (especially vulnerability), even though bottled up emotions hurt their psychological health in the long run and may lead to anger or violent behaviour, and other destructive reactions.

While these are just a few examples of how we’re hurting our world by ignoring the basic issue of gender inequality, there are innumerable ways in which this phenomenon plays out in every area of our lives. The way to fight it is to be aware of how it seeps into our lives and what steps we can take to stop it.

How to support gender equality

As you can see, feminism matters. It’s not just women who suffer as a result of gender inequality but also their families, homes, workplaces and the world as a whole. There is an enormous, untapped potential in the world which cannot be accessed until we make sure that women get the same opportunities, respect and rights that men have; until we make sure that men, too, are free to break gender stereotypes and act freely as individuals.

Now that you know what feminism is, how are you going to play your part in it? Be brave. Take the first step, start the first conversation, read the first book, raise the first question and join the first campaign. We have to start somewhere, anywhere — today, right now. We don’t have to wait for the International Women’s Day to begin our commitment — feminism is not about a specific day on which we all get together to advocate for the equality of the sexes; it’s about each of us standing up to fight inequality and take action — no matter how small or how big — every single day until we accomplish our mission of having a gender equal world.  

Ways to make gender equality a reality

• We can change the world, but first we have to change ourselves. So start the process of change by focusing on the little details in your own life, e.g. instead of saying “policeman” or “businessman”, use terms suitable for and applicable to both males and females, such as “police officer” and “businessperson” respectively. This is important because language reflects our culture, and if we want to create a better culture, language is a great place to begin.

• Include all your siblings and friends when you’re playing — girls as well as boys — and share your toys with them. Be bold enough to widen your range of playthings to include the ones that are not specific to your gender.

• If you’re a book lover, explore stories in which characters act out of norm, such as A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle and Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo is also a wonderful book. While all the stories in it read like fairy tales, they’re based on extraordinary women from real life.

• Talk about it with other people: your friends, family, teachers and peers. If you hear someone say something that goes against the idea of equality (e.g. phrases that reinforce gender stereotypes: “That’s not a lady-like thing to do” or “Boys are tough”) be willing to discuss the issue with them in a polite and respectful way. Explain how their behaviour is reinforcing unhelpful gender norms, and what they can do to correct it.

• Suggest feminism as a topic for debate in school, or get a group of friends to perform a play in which you swap the characters’ gender (which is always thought-provoking because usually we never even realise how gender norms work until someone does something that isn’t typical of their gender).

• People can support numerous campaigns that promote feminism. For instance, HeForShe is a movement created by UN Women in order to encourage every member of society to get involved in the issue and take action to create a gender equal world.

• There are countless other ways in which we can contribute to gender equality. Discuss the issue with your parents and teachers, and seek their guidance. Be curious and explore it on the internet and through books. — SKB

Published in Dawn, Young World March 4th, 2017