What is feminism?

The first clarification that must be made from the start is related to the definition of FEMINISM. If we were to take the explanation from dex, feminism is a social movement, which advocates for equality between women and men, regardless of the field of reference. 

What are the issues facing the feminist movement?

The social problem we face is that many people believe that women and men cannot be equal. A classic argument is that from a physical point of view they are different, starting from the social construct that women are "smaller", "weaker", "powerless" and that they must always "be protected". There are also people who believe that women and men should not be equal because of religious or cultural influences. 

Others believe that feminism has already reached its peak, that it has reached its goal and that equality between women and men is already happening. But unfortunately there is still a long way to go and there is a great need for social mobilization in this direction. I think that if we have had discriminatory experiences it is still easy for us to see how much more feminism has to do, but in the context where we have not faced discrimination, we are not aware of the problem. 

How has feminism come to be seen today and why? 

About social media image and stereotypes

Feminism is promoted a lot in social media. Important hashtags such as #GirlsSupportGirls, #WhyIDidntReport, #MeToo, #everydaysexism or #YesAllWomen gained momentum on Twitter and Instagram and helped many women tell their stories and send a message. However, in addition to significant events and things in a woman's life, there were also "scandalous" approaches made to attract attention on social media. The problem arises when due to a large wave of information and visuals, the real message of the movement is distorted, by assimilating the movement with more or less representative things. 

Because of the way information is delivered on social media, some people perceive women who talk about menstruation, for example, as disgusting, even though it's something that's part of our normal. Or they briefly call them "bra-burned" without knowing or understanding the message behind this approach. Many equate feminism with women who don't wear make-up or don't groom themselves, and think that's the message of an entire movement. And here comes the problem with social acceptance.

Why don't many women call themselves "feminists"?

A big problem with women not feeling like they empathize with the feminist message is closely related to stereotypes. "How can I be a feminist if I wear make-up?", "Feminists don't care", "I don't want to  son in the same pot". Many women are afraid to call themselves "feminists" because they fear that  they will all be considered the same, because they will automatically be assigned traits that do not belong to them. Feminism at its core is about diversity and choice. It's about "being who you want to be, as long as you're okay with yourself."

Why do some men dislike feminism?

And here the battle is between what feminism actually means and what some men think it means. And the problem begins with the fear of many that women actually want, not equality, but to be higher than men. They fear that at some point a "women's patriarchy" will be born, and men will lose the power, influence or rights they have and these will be taken over by women. Another problem is related to the misconception that feminism = femininity, and men refuse to associate with feminism, because they do not want to be considered feminine.  

How can feminism be promoted in a healthy and fair way?

By emphasizing the message it conveys, by promoting successful women who got there through meritocracy, by sharing experiences, by acceptance and empathy.