So as expected I asked the most obvious question to the FAT (Feminist Approach to Technology) organisation. Why did they choose to call themselves feminists? Why not humanists?
The answer I was given was mainly the history of oppression of women. With time our society has become so male dominated that unless you fight for the cause of women you are not really bringing them up in the society.
I was also reminded that feminists are really looking for equality of men and women and they are not anti-men. There are in fact a few men who are part of the feminist organisation, who believe in the cause and have provided their support.
But I have a few thoughts about this.
Firstly, the word feminism has a slight connotation. Even if I am not afraid of the society and don't care about what people think about me, there are loads of people (women even) who are affected by this negative connotation. Calling yourself a feminist means losing the support of all these women who are not fighting for this cause just because of the image of the name.
Secondly, if this revolution is really about bringing equality, why not call it humanism? Calling it feminism instantly alienates many men, who are also part of the target audience and need to be educated as much as a woman. Making men aware of women being equal to them, automatically makes it easier for women to take more active steps to go out of their homes, into the world and do something meaningful with their lives. Educating men may lessen the struggle for an independent woman who otherwise will always be perceived as a rebel in the society.
I am very much in agreement with the activities the organisation is conducting. I agree that women have gone through hell, and need the support from the privileged part of the society to get truly liberated. It is important to fight for their equal opportunity. It is important that women take active part in science, technology, finance, politics, policy making and everything else that has for ever been predominantly a man's job.
But as I understand, this is a joint responsibility of every man and woman, and not just a few women. If equality was a product that I was selling, I would package it in such a way that every man, woman and child would want to buy it. I would not want to give it a name which has a possibility of alienating half the population. I would give it a more neutral name and conduct exactly the same exercises which this organisation has undertaken.
My personal belief is that a man and a woman are as equal to each other as they are different. This difference or equality is no different to the individual differences or similarities between a man and man or a woman and woman. As a woman I don't want to be equal to a man. I enjoy being different. I would only want that my society and immediate environment would acknowledge that I am as unique as any other human, man or woman.
The answer I was given was mainly the history of oppression of women. With time our society has become so male dominated that unless you fight for the cause of women you are not really bringing them up in the society.
I was also reminded that feminists are really looking for equality of men and women and they are not anti-men. There are in fact a few men who are part of the feminist organisation, who believe in the cause and have provided their support.
But I have a few thoughts about this.
Firstly, the word feminism has a slight connotation. Even if I am not afraid of the society and don't care about what people think about me, there are loads of people (women even) who are affected by this negative connotation. Calling yourself a feminist means losing the support of all these women who are not fighting for this cause just because of the image of the name.
Secondly, if this revolution is really about bringing equality, why not call it humanism? Calling it feminism instantly alienates many men, who are also part of the target audience and need to be educated as much as a woman. Making men aware of women being equal to them, automatically makes it easier for women to take more active steps to go out of their homes, into the world and do something meaningful with their lives. Educating men may lessen the struggle for an independent woman who otherwise will always be perceived as a rebel in the society.
I am very much in agreement with the activities the organisation is conducting. I agree that women have gone through hell, and need the support from the privileged part of the society to get truly liberated. It is important to fight for their equal opportunity. It is important that women take active part in science, technology, finance, politics, policy making and everything else that has for ever been predominantly a man's job.
But as I understand, this is a joint responsibility of every man and woman, and not just a few women. If equality was a product that I was selling, I would package it in such a way that every man, woman and child would want to buy it. I would not want to give it a name which has a possibility of alienating half the population. I would give it a more neutral name and conduct exactly the same exercises which this organisation has undertaken.
My personal belief is that a man and a woman are as equal to each other as they are different. This difference or equality is no different to the individual differences or similarities between a man and man or a woman and woman. As a woman I don't want to be equal to a man. I enjoy being different. I would only want that my society and immediate environment would acknowledge that I am as unique as any other human, man or woman.
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