Essay Example on Feminism in Society: Striving for Equality & Protection

Since the 1940s, feminism has been getting popular in society. This trend is attributable to the determination of women in their struggle to achieve a status that is equal to that of men, if not a better one. In essence, feminism is a political, social and economic movement that seeks to protect people of the female gender by advocating for equal rights by championing for the enactment of legislation that fosters the welfare of women in the society. This discourse, therefore, seeks to dispel the notion that Feminism is nothing more than a doctrine/philosophy/ideology that blames those in power for the inadequacies and dissatisfactions of the weak.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Feminism is not an ideology that blames those in power for the inadequacies or dissatisfactions of the weak members of society. This ideology solely focuses on the female gender, and any individual classifying this gender under vulnerable groups exhibits enormous disrespect to the women. Women are influential people that have played huge roles in the society. They are the sole givers of life since through them; people get born. Apart from that, they are the primary bond that holds families together since they play a central role in homes and governance (Alexander, Bolzendahl, & Jalalzai, 2017). Apart from their functions in homes, women have been at the forefront of the political and economic aspects of society. Women like Hillary Clinton, Theresa May and Angel Mackerel are some of the strongest women that the world has witnessed. Therefore, classifying them under a weak group of people is nothing but disparaging to their achievements. Women are not vulnerable; they only need empowerment by eliminating the patriarchal culture that seems to give men an advantage at the expense of women (Traister, 2016).

Framers of the feminism ideology/philosophy/dogma aimed at fostering equality and protecting women in a male chauvinistic society. In most societies, women were regarded as less equal beings to men. Alarmingly, some communities regarded women as properties of men. Such obnoxious cultures are what feminism seeks to eliminate in society (Hannam, 2013). Through feminism, governments now realize the value of women, and the need to empower them. Consequently, most nations are now establishing laws that protect the rights and welfare of women. For example, rules on abortion in most countries are getting legislated to accord women the freedom to procure an abortion if and when there is a need. It is unfortunate that most developing nations still harbour traditional notions that women should not get community land as an inheritance. The feminism movement is striving to secure rights to the property for the women. Sexual harassment and domestic violence that target people of the female gender are common occurrences in society. Through feminism, women are getting enlightened, and they are being empowered by offering them knowledge and skills of handling male-induced challenges in society (Nardo, 2011).

Conclusion

In conclusion, feminism is an ideology/doctrine/philosophy, which tries to make women understand themselves. Through feminism, females in the society can know their weakness and strength; hence, feminism places them in a situation that makes them harness chances in the socio-economic and political arena. This ideology does not in any circumstance advocate for the welfare of the weak members of the society. Instead, it exclusively focuses on women in its quest to eliminate negative perceptions that society has, for a long time, had towards the female gender.

References

Alexander, A. C., Bolzendahl, C., & Jalalzai, F. (2017). Measuring Women's Political Empowerment across the Globe: Strategies, Challenges and Future Research. Basingstoke, England: Springer.

Hannam, J. (2013). Feminism. London, England: Routledge.

Nardo, D. (2011). The Women's Movement. New York, NY: Greenhaven Publishing LLC.

Traister, R. (2016). All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.