Women have had to struggle for rights throughout history, up til the 20th century women weren’t even allowed to vote. Most nations have always objectified women, classified them as partners just needed to start a family or please their husbands. Maybe the only thing a woman was not classified as was “Person”. The treatment was pretty much the same for all rich and poor, women belonging to rich families had a better way of life but still there was little freedom for them, most of them were betrothed to rich aristocrats from a very early age, and their behavior was determined by others, they were always told how to act like a proper lady, and any variation from that specific behavior was deemed unworthy of a lady. The poor women had no choice at all, most were born in a large family, so they would spend all their life from working in their father’s house to working in their husband’s. Other than this women have been deprived of rights in all departments in most civilizations.
Today the struggle to promote feminism is plenty and prevailing, most of the developed world has recognized that women are as personable as men. But the question on everyone’s mind is “are men and women equal?”
I have the utmost respect for women, they are the foundations for the progress of any nation, without them humanity would be lost. They have always been the symbol of love, kindness, hope, strength, inspiration and humanity. The highest regard any woman could personally achieve is that of a mother, by this I don’t mean to say that a woman’s biggest purpose should be becoming a mother. What I mean to say is that mothers are the best, purest form of not only women, but all human beings. Mothers prove that women are the most strong-willed, sincere, kind, loving and purest of individuals. A mother selflessly loves her children from the day they are born to the end of her days. For me, my Mother is the best blessing I could ever have and by saying this I mean that everything I am, or are capable of doing is because of my mother.
The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said: Your Heaven lies under the feet of your mother.
I have always found the differences and similarities between men and women fascinating. Society should realize that both genders can learn so much from each other by embracing each others qualities.
I don’t believe men and women are, will or should be equal but I do believe that men and women should be treated equally. Any woman should be treated equally, not just to men but, to any other human. It’s simple really, every person is unique, no person is identical or equal to another. Classifying and judging a person’s importance and role in society by comparing him to others is unfair to that person’s uniqueness. We should understand that classifying humans as “men” and “women” is a process based on biological and genetic differences. But how the way society treats both should not be determined on these bases. Women have so many qualities that men don’t, this makes them unique and declaring men and women equal is belittling to both. How would you feel if someone identified and judged you in association with someone else rather than by your qualities and character? People often credit other’s failures and success to their parents, siblings, nationality, race, culture and other humans. So many times we hear someone saying “what did you expect from her/him, he/she belongs to that family” or “of course he/she is pathetic, he/she is Mr Doe’s child” or “People from that area are dumb and ugly”.You would probably be offended by this and feel neglected and misjudged.
The same goes for gender generalizations and biases, I’ve seen a lot of so-called “Feminists” saying “All men are trash” or “All men are pigs”. I am sorry but this is not feminism, and these people are not feminists. How are you better than these so-called “Meninists” or “Anti Feminists” if you make the same generalizations as they do like “Blondes are stupid” or “Women don’t know how to drive”. This way of thinking gives a bad name to respectable women who are actually working hard for rights, promoting women empowerment, struggling to save women who are the victims of cultural and social superstitions.
Women are what men are not and men are what women aren’t and these differences in them are blissful and perfectly align to make society. What we all need to understand is that all women are different from each other and so are all men, every individual should make up his own standards and we should treat everyone equally but judge them individually for who they are.
In a nutshell, Feminism should be about the majesty of being a woman. Mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, engineers, doctors, athletes, workers, artists, politicians, astronauts, scientists, explorers, executives, leaders, there is nothing women can’t achieve or be except that they can’t be men, because they are unique and better in their own unique way, the same goes for men. Why would both want others to judge them by the limitations and qualities of each other rather than their own? Feminism is the struggle for women recognition and its celebration. It is the struggle for the basic right that women should be treated and judged the same way society treats and judges men. It is the fight that all humans be judged without bias on what their gender is.
“…and women have rights similar to those against them in a just manner,…” (Holy Qur’an, 2:228).
The Thinker's Cauldron 