The other 'F' word

“Oh I thought you were a feminist. Aren’t you? “ – One comment I encounter very often. Like even yesterday.

So am I?

Being a woman is a privilege I was born with and it is an identity I cherish more than any other. It is something that has shaped my emotional response and sensitivity for as long as I have known.  Like most women, I too am strengthened by my experiences and it is the truth when they say “a woman is like a reed, she bends to every breeze but she does not break in a storm.”

‘Woman’ is the far deeper, wider and greater word. Does it even fit to qualify a more limited term like ‘Feminist’?  Not in my opinion.

Being labelled a feminist would misrepresent who I really am.

I know that some dictionaries define feminism simply as ‘equality’.

But I do not want to be part of a movement where too many of their actions do not match this definition.

I know that not all feminists are man-haters, don’t care about men’s rights, or believe in female superiority. 

But I do not want to be a part of a group that includes too many people who do believe any of the above.

I agree with some things these movements stand for. But I disagree with enough of the beliefs and actions of the current feminist movement, such that applying the label to me would give people the wrong impression of what I support and believe in.

Being labelled a feminist would misrepresent who I really am.

The mountains are waiting to be climbed by people. 

Men & women. 

Go out there and prove your worth in your little and big ways. Fighting for the entire acknowledgement you desire is tougher. Instead climb it and you will be seen. 

“We have begun to raise our daughters more like our sons, but few have the courage to raise our sons more like our daughters”. Each of us needs to find our own way to change things for the better. 

The woman who does not require validation from anyone is the most feared individual on the planet. Period.

PS: I walked out of the theatre after watching Pink not just feeling that it ostensibly addresses men and their behaviour but at the same time it sends out a message to the girls as well.