Feminism is the recognition and critique of the male supremacy coupled with concrete efforts to change it. The feminist movement believes in equality of both sexes, but it mostly leans towards women empowerment. The main agenda of feminists, though some may deny it, is to demonstrate women's importance and reveal how they have been subordinate to men historically. Feminism, however, is often misinterpreted, primarily based on what people see on the media about the protests. More often than not, many people have misunderstood the feminist movement as simply a means to make women superior to men. Although some toxic feminists believe in that theory, most of them fight for equality. The topic of feminism is broad, but every perspective and point of view aims at promoting equality.
The Guardian
One of the topics that feminists are vocal about is sexual assault. In an article in ‘The Guardian,’ Moira Donegan reflects on the #MeToo movement that had started once the stories of sexual abuse flooded the media (Donegan, 2018). The movement caused a divide among women as some, especially feminists, felt galvanized and optimistic while others, particularly the victims, were uncomfortable. Men were also infuriated by the movement with some, like Donald Trump, saying that they had gone too far (Donegan, 2018). The icing on the cake, however, was the drift that was visible among feminists. Some of them felt the need for caution while others urged the victims to keep sharing their stories. Moreover, others felt that the whole movement had escalated and become silly. The main identifiable problem was that the #MeToo movement was too broad in its spectra of harassments. Some more severe cases like rape did not have to be grouped with others, such as unwarranted flirting. The article gives relevant details and names of Hollywood stars like Harvey Weinstein, who have had to step away from the limelight due to sexual harassment accusations (Donegan, 2018).
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In addition to that, the article also sheds some light on the intellectual drift among feminists who are in two groups, namely individualists and socialists. However, there is no clear indication of what became of the movement nor the victims that came forth with the sexual assault stories. Even though the article dwells around serious matters, several recommendations should have been included as to how the victims should get help, counseling, and legal advice on how to handle the situation. Instead, the writer dwells on the drift that happened between the groups of feminists and the backlash that each received. Similarly, the article focuses on celebrities and public figures whose scandals were aired on the news. However, the more significant chunk of the movement encompasses ordinary women who have been sexually abused while carrying out their daily chores. Consequently, the article should have focused more on that bracket instead of one or two celebrities.
The Washington Post
In ‘The Washington Post,’ Suzanna Danuta Walters raises a critical question, is it possible to hate men? (Walters, 2018) Based on the accounts of sexual abuse incidences, the article explores the possibility of hating men. While the toxic femininity includes the 'we do not hate men' line in all their rants, there seems to be a more profound sense of the problem. However, instead of narrowing it down to individuals, the article suggests an intersectional perspective. The approach is geared towards eliminating the violent and domination masculinity in men by engaging them in feminism. The article brings out women as oppressed in many ways. Some of them are wage inequality, underrepresentation in high paying jobs, and unpaid labor in homes. Moreover, women are more likely to be victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence than men. The article further points out organizations such as women's marches, #MeToo, and #TimesUp, which aim at empowering women. The writer brings out femininity from the point of view of oppression. Male dominance has left fewer chances for women to excel, and thus they have to create these unions and organizations for empowerment.
The article is also critical, especially to feminists. Instead of anger, dismissal, and condemnation, feminists should offer support and succor (Walters, 2018). However, the article comes out as biased. As the writer suggests, the only way for women to come up strong is by a complete overhaul of the system, which means that men should step away from power and not be in charge of anything. In doing so, women will then assume the roles and become leaders. Although the article supports the idea of playing for the feminism team and winning, it does so by completely sidelining men. Neglecting them would be unfair because feminism calls for equality for both genders. Lastly, the article leans towards hatred. It is wrong for the writer to ask whether it is possible to hate men because others might misinterpret this, which may result in violence against men. In as much as a few of them have participated in crimes against women, it is unwise to put the burden of their sins on the entire male gender.
USA Today
How does one become a feminist? How does a woman find herself in the frontlines for fighting for equality? Why should someone follow such a path? Such and many more are the questions that come to mind when someone is seen enthusiastically airing their views on television. For parents who want their children to get into activism and pursue equality, there are a few tricks that Alia E. Dastagir shares in ‘USA Today.’ The first step that the article outlines is fighting stereotypes. Although the article is shallow about it, the topic of stereotypes exists in many fields. For instance, it is often assumed that girls cry more than boys, or that a woman's place is in the kitchen. Such gender biases cut across all sectors, including employment. For this reason, recognizing the biases is not enough. A change in views and attitudes should be from within because once we change our stereotypical thinking, the ability to influence others increases. The article emphasizes the importance of opposite-sex friendships from a young age. Friendships between boys and girls should be encouraged. The relationships should, however, be platonic (Dastagir, 2018). However, the writer omits the dangers of too much interaction. Considering how toxic some of the feminists can be, there need to be some people on the other side of the coin to prevent them from going overboard. Too much interaction, thus, will simulate their thinking into one, thus losing the masculinity of the boys. For this reason, there need to be boundaries set to limit such interaction.
The last thing that the article emphasizes is the element of consent. The writer has an excellent and articulate approach as she suggests consent to be taught from a young age about simple things like hugs. For example, if a family member wants to hug the child, it should so based on the consent. It is the same consent that the children use as they grow up. One of the grey areas in most sexual assault cases is the element of consent, where the defendants make claims of getting permission that the plaintiff did not offer. Consequently, children should be taught how to say yes, based on their own free will, and not bow to pressure. In doing so, parents remind their children that the power to make the decision lies with them.
References
Dastagir, A. E. (2018, March 5). How to raise a feminist. Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/03/05/how-raise-feminist-6-not-so-easy- steps/312228002/
Donegan, M. (2018, May 17). How #MeToo Revealed the Central Rift within Feminism Today. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/may/11/how-metoo-revealed- the-central-rift-within-feminism-social-individualist
Walters, S. D. (2018, June 9). Why Can't We Hate Men. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-cant-we-hate-men/2018/06/08/f1a3a8e0- 6451-11e8-a69c-b944de66d9e7_story.html
