Feminism is not only about equal rights for women

Feminism has been defined as the “range of movements and ideologies that share a common goal: to define, establish and achieve equal political, economic, cultural, social and personal rights for women.” This definition instils an affirmative perception that feminism is revolutionising, and indeed, condemning deep-rooted patriarchal beliefs. The fight for creating an environment where women have equal rights to establish themselves with unprejudiced societal support, similar to their male counterparts, gained popular acclaim and progress in the liberation of women’s rights.

It is amazing to note that through the global women’s suffrage movement in the 19th century, women were not only able to identify themselves as eligible voters, but were also allowed to hold political positions. This, at the time, was demonstrated as an exigency, since women had to look after their house, family, as well as external affairs. This is a remarkable achievement in itself.

However, feminism as a term is not limited to only achieving equal rights for the female section of society. The word also highlights the practice that protects women from unscrupulous activities. This primarily includes female feticide, a practice of killing the girl child before she is even born, because her existence is considered a burden to her family.

Over the centuries, women were forced to follow different practices that are now most definitely classified as illegal. As time passed, women became helpless and engaged in deplorable professions, as education was not considered a necessity.

But democracy gave a new direction to those fighting for equal rights. An excellent example is South Africa. After breaking free from the bonds of colonisation, the country established its own constitution that guaranteed equal rights to all its citizens, be it men or women.

The spread of democracy has lead to the evolution of a wonderful era in which, women are no longer considered lesser than men. Nothing more than deep appreciation can ever repay the tireless efforts of those who, although faced with repeated despair, never lost hope and led the creation of a better world.

— The reader is a student based in Dubai