Feminism or Misandry - Who draws the line? -

By Ayma Rizwan
Feminism is an ideology that women are, and should be, treated as intellectual beings equal to
men. Now, at its core, feminism is the belief that men and women deserve the same rights,
opportunities, and respect. So, since when did feminism become a superiority complex that
women are simply better than men, and in this so-called feminism, why are all men given the
same stereotypical personality that they are misogynistic? At this point, these so-called feminists
are just as bad as the misogynistic people.
Halfway into our fight for feminism, we lost our cause. Feminism is supposed to be about
creating equal rights and opportunities for all genders. It does not tell you to treat one gender as
superior to another, and it does not grant prejudice against men. So the question is, if feminism
preaches equality, why is hate against men encouraged as an act of feminism?
We are all quite familiar with the meaning of misogyny; it is the hatred, contempt, or prejudice
against women or girls. But how many of us openly talk about Misandry? How many of us snub
a woman when she is openly hating on men simply because they are men? Why are we not
able to realise that this is just as bad as a man hating on women just because they are women?
Do we reject Prejudice because of what it is, or because of whom it’s directed at? If we look at
this from an unbiased perspective, we will understand that both misandry and misogyny are
equally unacceptable.
And to those people who want equality, just know that it also means that the standards for both
genders will be equal; that also applies in the workplace. A woman is pressured by society to
get married, have a family, and be the only one in the relationship responsible for maintaining it.
This is unfair to her, as a marriage is supposed to be maintained by both partners, and our
society needs to understand that not getting married or not living the traditional way is not the
end of the world. However, coming back to our point, due to this, women find it hard to focus on
their careers and get fewer responsibilities in comparison to men, who have little to no pressure
from the same society. So, as women get fewer responsibilities, they have to work less and
hence may not reach the same level as a man with the same starting point. And if they want the
same amount of pay, then isn’t that unfair to the man who worked more than them?
Equality doesn’t only apply in the workplace; it also applies in showing compassion to both
genders equally. If a man suffers from sexual assault, domestic violence, and abuse and talks
about it openly, some immature men who have not gone through the pain tell him to man up and
don’t take his pain seriously. However, the amusing part is that women, instead of showing the
man some compassion, say that “ women go through it every day”. Does one person’s suffering
make another’s less real? Would it diminish the value of women’s suffering if you show
compassion to a man going through the same scenario? It is a fact that more women suffer
sexual assault, domestic violence, and harassment, but that does not mean that a man doesn’t.
Someone’s suffering doesn’t need to be compared before it deserves to be taken seriously. So,
to those so-called “feminists”, Feminism is not about turning yourself into the victim at all times.
To be fair,, if a man did the same, the whole world would hate him, but no,o you want equality
and to hate on men. When we finally stop turning a blind eye to this, we will understand that this
is not “feminism”. This is insensitivity and dehumanisation of a person.
The broader principle is, it’s not about who suffers more, it’s not about who has it worse, it’s not
about who has the bigger statistic; everyone is worthy of being heard and understood and cared
for; that is feminism. No one has to prove that they suffer more, because it doesn’t matter. If you
suffer a little or a lot, you still suffered, and you deserve to be heard.
If we believe that we shouldn’t stereotype women and that they can do anything, why do we
stereotype men? If we say women’s suffering matters, doesn’t a man’s suffering matter just as
much? If we say that women deserve equality, why doesn’t that apply to our standards? And if
we condemn misogyny, why do we romanticise misandry? Is it really equality if it’s selective?
Misogyny is the hatred and contempt of girls; misandry is the hatred and contempt for men.
Both are bad. You are allowed to hate an individual for their actions, not the whole gender
because of certain individuals. Gender was never a competition, and no gender is simply better
than another. That is where true feminism lies. A real feminist will always speak ill of misandry
and of misogyny.
The Author is currently in her last year of O-levels and can be reached at
aymarizwan2510@gmail.com.