Do We Really Understand Feminism?

Based on the explanation, feminism is an important concept to be strongly valued as an individual to an equal right especially for those who are oppressed due to their gender.

These days, feminism in Indonesia is an issue that is still talked about and faces struggles to be accepted by society. On one side, there are many men that still belittle women and believe that they aren't entitled to have power in this society. In many cases, there are men who have an idea that a woman should stay at home, be married, be a housewife, obey and follow her husband's orders. These ideas lead to women being objectified and even labeled as "baby-factory," worse it increases cases of sexual assault in women and young girls not to mention domestic violence in household. Feminism can help women to speak up about their rights and fight against these cases. However, on the other side, feminism can be mistaken as a meaning that offends and devalues men. Numerous female public figures start to influence people about how feminism means being an independent woman without the help of men. Moreover, they give the impression that women are more dominant now and have stronger will to provide than men. The words they use to describe feminism are farther by the actual meaning and causing them to go back to the inequality concept.

If we trace back from the beginning of feminism and how Kartini defines its meaning, feminism concludes that equality means rights for both women and men. It also highlights the importance of women to have the same chance and choice to take a lead in social, political, education and economy. Moreover, as human beings we should have respect for others regarding gender and age. Even when feminism taught us to promote freedom for women, we should not forget that feminism is about equality to begin with. Its purpose is to prevent the violence against women and girls, not to create a battle between who is better in both genders.

In conclusion, when we hear about such topics or quotes in social media, we should consider diving deeper into the concept and meaning before criticizing or commenting about it.

As a woman, it is needed to be well-organized and be brave in making decisions as well as statements, but we should not forget to appreciate others without disregarding them. We can be opinionated about feminism or any such topics, but we should choose our words wisely and respectfully without being judgmental and biased with our own stereotypes.