By: Kavodi Kulunumini
Colombo (LNW): Feminism with time have become an abstract concept although it does have a proper definition. That had happened because with time any concept evolves for the better or for worse. Nonetheless in simpler terms Feminism means equal rights opportunities and status for women regardless of their race religion faith or sexuality.
What is quite unfortunate when speaking of feminism is that this battle particularly had been fought for a long time. With its first wave been in 1848. But still if you look at the society today there had not been much of a difference. Japan recovered faster after two atomic bombs than the progress Feminism had achieved over the years.
This topic is something that has been put to question very recently in popular media. With the increasing cases of physical assault and sexual battery. So why not give a fresh perspective on a timely matter.
Feminism in its core is a cry of frustration of an oppressed group of individuals who had been stripped from their rights and choices. It is a cry of freedom of liberalism. It had never been intended to surpass as a superior gender.
Although many popular media has adapted to have a female lead especially in period dramas where she strives for what is right and what should be hers ironically the real world is far behind fiction. No matter how great the movies are or how great the actors are the society is still quite primitive.
We still live in a society where the victim is mostly blamed for the sexual assault and unfortunately the majority of the victims are women. The common excuses that the other party would give is that it is the woman who lured them, it is the woman who seduced them, it is the woman who invited them with their clothing, it is the woman who needed them, asked them, begged them without actual verbal consent. And particularly after marriage people assume that rape doesn’t exist especially in the developing countries just because they are bound by a legal contract.
But it still does. No matter how many ‘no’s are repeated or shouted or yelled the majority goes unheard. The women are still seen as tools of pleasure, something to relieve stress.
What could be given as the best example is public transport. There’s hardly any woman out there who uses public transport can admit to not being subject to an uncomfortable sexual assault. It is rather pathetic how primal the society is but it is the truth.
Because of these extreme scenarios that is largely normalized it is still the woman who is stripped of her freedom. She has to dress appropriately even in the blazing sun to always be cautious no matter how tired she was, always be aware, be accompanied with someone at night and never be alone with strangers. Everything is a no-go.
Adults too in their idealistic mind to protect the female child tend to always blame her of anything happening to her, putting unnecessary load of restrictions on her. At the end of the day, one way or the other she will always be the one to be blamed.
Due to that the most basic help females get also is over exaggerated. The fact that men could be attentive to her moods on a particular hard day or asking for consent before invoking anything is glorified to the extent that it made them perfect. Women too unused to being treated equally or respectfully or attentively soak it up and further praise the actions. It’s almost as if common human courtesy is appreciated.
This further expounds on the true state of a woman in society. Although considered a part of it being the ultimate vessel of a new generation, she had not been considered quite human that even basic decency moves her to tears. Therefore, it is time to see a woman and see a person without just seeing her as a woman.
There are still lot of issues prevailing in the world for women specifically. Glass ceiling Pregnancy discrimination and Education etc. It is time for society to take a stand against such obvious oppression and treat them as fellow individuals. And for that to change the perspectives should be altered; in both men and women.
To create a better world educating a one party has never been sufficient. That has been where the issue was. Let’s alter it and create a less problematic world.
