Written by: Nazmi Suraya Bt Ruslan
Feminism today is portrayed as a thing of the past that many people believed that we don’t need it anymore because the society thinks that women already have the equal rights. It is actually great that women today feel like they already have the equal opportunities as men. This is all because the past feminist movements that stood out and without them, who know where we could be today. Even though the goals almost completely achieved, feminism is actually still needed and we will continue to need it until every other women in the world feel the same way. As we realize, some women may be lucky enough to feel that way, however, there are still many who can’t.
Feminism isn’t a gender issue but women fight for it because it is a humanity issue. For example, we still need feminism because we want to educate and give awareness to women on how to prevent rape, instead of telling people to stop viewing women as sex objects as women often being told that walking alone at night is dangerous which made them as an easy target for rapist. Even though the victims here are women, the society will still blame women for being alone at night or being sexy and attractive. Rape victims are often be blamed for their own rape. Then, if women can’t be alone at night, how can they go home after work? Where are their rights for being whatever they want to? Is it really fair that men only can do whatever they want? Women do not exist to be sexual beings and take the blame for what they didn’t do.
Another reason why we need feminism because people are still blind and agreed that women don’t need the equal pay for the same work as men, that they accepted the indifference and injustices in society as a way of life. Says who? This is why feminism still relevant as long as gender inequality continues to exist.
Being a feminist does not mean that women can’t speak for themselves, it means that people should realize that it isn’t about telling women what to do, it is giving them the ability and freedom to be able to choose to do whatever they want to be. The purpose here is to create a society of equality, to provide people with the freedom of choice, rather than limited choices of assumption.