I come from a country where feminism is viewed in a bad light. Thus, we all keep using the word and avoid incidences where we may associate the term together. Merriam- Webster dictionary defines feminism as the belief in and advocacy of the sexes’ political, economic, and social equality, expressed primarily through organized activity for women’s rights and interests. According to Chimamanda Ngozi, a feminist is a man or woman that believes that there is a gender issue today and we must fix it.  

We all need to change how we bring up our children. Allow them to express themselves without any form of fear or judgment. I know men are taught how to be strong and always the providers. On the other side, as women, we are equally capable of providing, and from a tender age, let us all train our babies to do the same tasks around the house. This will break that cycle of life that makes men feel superior and cannot do a thing in the kitchen. We must unlearn the gender roles we have picked up over the years. Please realize that we are all equal and capable of doing tasks that we perceive to be for a particular gender. 

Feminism is a fight against particular attitudes. We are allowed to have different ideologies be it pro-choice, pro-life, a lady or not, wear make-up or not, have relaxed hair or not. The goal is equal opportunities for both sexes and a fairer playing field. 

What feminism is not?

One thing for sure is that there are radical feminists out there who believe that there should be no man living on this earth. We must understand that as we have freedom, one’s freedom ends where the following persons begin.

Feminism is not a law that forces women to throw away their femininity and become manlier. We, as females, have our strengths in cooking or taking care of the house; these are our strong points, and we should not throw them out of the window simply because we want to compete with men. 

We all must be feminists and fight for a society that adores each other. Let us join hands to create a better society for better living. Let us change the narrative with the kind of children that we are raising.