Why Feminism?

Feminism should be a topic that men can talk about and discuss without hesitation. If you think that women and men should have equal rights and opportunities, congratulations, you're a feminist too.

First, I'll touch on what Feminism means conceptually. Afterward, I will share with you my personal views on why people in our world oppose feminism and why we need to raise awareness and support feminism.

First, let's understand what feminism means. If you look up the definition of "feminism" in the dictionary, you'll see:

Feminism: 1. Advocating for women's rights on the basis of gender equality. 2. The theory of political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. 3. The belief is that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. 4. The doctrine defends the social, political, and all other rights of women on an equal basis with men.

Many people make the argument that women are not “the same” as men and therefore cannot be equal. Feminism is not about being essentially the same, but about the social equality of men and women. It is crucial here to understand that “same” does not mean “equal”. The issue here is about equal rights and equal access to opportunities. Men and women do not have to be physically “the same” to have the right to equality. "They cannot be equal because they are not the same") fail to reflect the facts, and I can't wait to see this argument dispelled as soon as possible.

Today, women regularly organize marches to make their voices heard. Years ago, women marched for their rights for the first time. In May 1987, nearly 3000 women marched on the streets of Istanbul to protest domestic violence. This was not the first time women took to the streets in Turkey, but they were the first to express their demands specific to their conditions of existence as women in Turkish society. Women marched for themselves, not for their nation, class, husband, brothers, and sons. In other words, there was a struggle for rights.

So why are people prejudiced against feminism? From what I've seen around me, I've observed the general thoughts of people about feminism and listed the main takeaways I've gotten as follows:

• There are thousands of people who think that we have already achieved gender equality.

• There are people who belittle the problems women experience.

• There is a crowd of hundreds of people who see feminism as anti-men.

• Associating feminism with a political party undermines the ideology's purpose.

• There are thousands of people who believe in equal rights but characterize “feminism” as a word or even a movement that does not match their personal beliefs and values.

• There are people who think that the biological differences between men and women cause social differences and argue that social differences are normal.

• Finally, there are those who advocate both conscious and unconscious gender bias.

The vast majority of people around me believe in equal rights for men and women, but the real conflict is how to achieve this equality. Many resist calling themselves "feminists" or supporting the feminist movement. Why do so many people hate the term feminism and the feminist movement? I believe there are four critical reasons behind this:

1. Many people fear that feminism will mean that men will eventually be deprived of power, influence, authority, and economic opportunity.

2. Many people believe that feminists want to control the world and humiliate men.

3. Many people fear that feminism will overturn old traditions, religious beliefs, and established gender roles.

4. Many people fear that when women are on an equal footing with men, it will lead to negative changes in relationships, marriage, society, culture, power and authority dynamics, and job and economic opportunities.

Of course, these fears do not reflect reality. We are all responsible for this struggle of women in our society to simply have the right to live. Change comes with the hopeful, and we need to change. To create a world where men and women are equal, we need to change for a whole new world where people can have fairer rights.

As a result, it is only by answering these questions that people can understand how unnecessary and unfounded fears they have towards feminism:

1. Do you believe that women and men have equal rights and equal opportunities?

2. Are you against the idea that every living thing on the planet deserves equal rights and equal access to all opportunities? If you are against it, you are worried about what will happen if equality is achieved?

3. Do you believe that only certain groups of people should be allowed access to certain opportunities and rights? If so, which groups should be preferred, and who should decide this?

4. Do you believe that it is fair for women to have limited access to rights while men have all rights and opportunities unconditionally?

5. Do you believe that a world that prevents certain people from accessing all rights and opportunities will ensure a just, healthy and prosperous world for all?

If we have encountered discrimination before, we would have experienced it firsthand. However, when people do not come to their senses, they can doubt the reality of events and become unsympathetic. As men, we should increase our self-awareness, empathize with the problems women experience in our country, and support women to make their voices heard about inequalities. The way to do this is undoubtedly to support feminism.

*This article has been translated into English within the scope of the KHAS110 course.