Feminism is an attempt to mould an asymmetrical shape of mankind’s history into a symmetrical shape
LAKKI MARWAT: This letter is apropos the Speaker’s Corner piece entitled, “An open letter to feminists”, published on July 25, in which the author criticised feminists for confining feminism to women as the only oppressed beings, without any regard for males who also suffer; to which I agree. Feminism, after passing through the test of history, has morphed into various shades.
Like in every social discourse, there are some radicals and some moderates, the same is the case with feminism. Its radical shade, because of its sole obsession with women’s emancipation, wants women liberated overnight without keeping in mind the abrupt consequences that will result from turning against a patriarchal system in place throughout the history of mankind. I saw its reflection while attending a session entitled “Fifty shades of feminism” at the Lahore Literary Festival 2015, when one of the panelists — a renowned feminist — stated that the only way for women’s emancipation is for them to refuse to get married for the next 25 to 30 years, and instead they should make a commitment to pursue their careers. Such a lot of feminists definitely does not believe in compromise and will consider as outcasts those women who do not subscribe to their version of feminism.
There is another shade of feminism which is moderate in its approach. Its stance is that the movement for women’s emancipation should be inclusive. This emancipation should build an inclusive balance between gender roles. Radical feminism ends up labelling some supporters of this inclusive feminism as ‘anti-feminists’.
To be labelled anti-feminist just because you are not solely obsessed with the women’s cause and have regard for the suffering of men, often happens in the West. However, in our part of the world, women get labelled anti-feminists for different reasons. This happens because of many women’s complacent, indifferent approach towards their own sufferings.
This approach is indoctrinated in them through a patriarchal interpretation of religion. This is what I found while working on my thesis on gender issues and after interviewing several women. A woman in the West might feel insulted if she is derided for not subscribing to the more radical form of feminism, but in our part of the world, I wonder if it is justified to deride a woman and label her an ‘anti-feminist’ if she is indifferent to her sufferings because of the indoctrination she has been exposed to.
Feminism is an attempt to mould an asymmetrical shape of mankind’s history into a symmetrical shape. Because of its prevalent radical form, the solution does not lie in turning against it. Rather, those sitting in the moderate camp, both men and women, should strive to take control of the movement and make it more inclusive.
Inam Ullah Marwat
Published in The Express Tribune, July 30th, 2015.
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