ROLE OF MEN IN FEMINISM
The feminist movement has begun its fourth wave and as we progress further, we have to understand and acknowledge the role that the men have played in feminism. It is fundamentally problematic for an oppressed section to rise without members of the oppressing section aiding and abetting their upliftment. American advocate Parker Pillsbury openly held feminist views in the early 1860s and used his influence to promote the rights of women. Utilitarian writers such as Jeremy Bentham, demanded equal rights for women in the legal sphere. Historically, we can trace many male liberal writers who have actively protested for treating women equally.
However, the section of men that recognize their privilege and create space for women in the world to rise is significantly small majority of men tend to overlook the privilege that they possess and even tend to exploit it. Many groups have emerged as male liberation groups or men rights movements which protest against gender roles being imposed on men as well. The men’s liberation movement sheds light on the adverse effect of patriarchy on men as well, forcing them to subscribe to gender roles which deprive them of their freedom of choice.
It is important for the male members of our society to recognize the effect of patriarchy and unite active members and thinkers of our society to spread awareness and change the current societal structure. It takes acknowledgement of the impact of patriarchy on everybody and how to change that in a constructive and efficient manner. More often than not such change is not welcomed by the older members of the society and thereby hurdles the progress. Many men’s rights groups have tried to protest against feminism and claim that the feminist movement actually attempts to oppress men and create a women-centric society leading to matriarchy.
Can men be feminists?
In the fight against patriarchy, men can surely be strong allies and change the gameplay altogether. Feminism started as a movement for the upliftment women but with the development of various gender identities and sexualities, it is sufficient to say that feminism fights for equality of all the sexes. Men, as the frontrunners of patriarchy, can act as agents of change. For men to be active feminists, they can keep in mind the following things:
1. Acknowledge your privilege:
The Indian society is filled with male privilege. Be it with small freedoms of stepping out of the house or being preferred for jobs and high paying positions, the entire society prefers men to be entrusted with responsible tasks. It is important for the men in our society, specially the younger generation, to recognize that they possess certain privilege and will be subject to unfair advantage in comparison to their female or other gendered counterparts. The first step towards a better society is always acknowledgement of the problem. Once the problem has been acknowledged, we can think of different ways by which we unlearn the patriarchal teachings that have been ingrained in our heads unknowingly.
2. Sensitize fellow men about feminist issues:
Men who understand their privilege have the inherent responsibility to sensitize their fellow men about issues of gender equality and feminism. It is upon them to create an environment which confronts issues of gender disparity and opens up discussions and deliberations awakening responsibility and activism among their peers.
Actively discouraging behavior that has been deemed to be common, especially on the lines of harassing women such as catcalling or objectifying women and talking about their sexual organs, is an action that men must take up and enforce amongst their circles.
Patriarchy is not just sexually oppressing women and gender-based violence, it is a much deep-seated issue which governs many facets of our lives and the more we become aware of the situation and the subtle lessons of patriarchy that have been taught to us since childhood, we will get more equipped to resolve them.
3. Refrain from brushing off unruly behavior as a normally accepted practice:
Many times, we find the society making excuses for unruly behavior of men as a normal practice. “Oh, men will be men”, “boys make mistakes”, these are some common dialogues that we have come across in our day to day lives and these are used as excuses for men who sexually assault and harass women. Normalizing such behavior as good as condoning it and even if an individual does not harass someone on their own, if they normalize it, they are equally as guilty.
4. Help transform the situation and share platform with women:
The fear of men that women intend to establish a matriarchy or oppress men under the guise of feminism is ill-founded and irrational, it is, therefore, important for men to create space for a society which exists in the form of allies not providing supremacy to any particular gender. Men have resorted to underestimating women’s power and ability to create change in the community. Gender equality is a universal issue and therefore every individual must share their platform with women to create a peaceful and sustainable environment where every gender is treated equally and has equal access to every opportunity.
Conclusion:
Men, as the privileged and the other half of the society, can be instrumental in creating an equal environment for every gender, sex, and sexuality. There is a need for deeper research and discussion in these matters and awareness to be spread at the ground level. As this awareness reaches the villages and small towns, women will be able to utilize their complete potential and will add to the overall development of society in a much better manner. Women and men both must come together and join forces to create a society which has no gender supremacy but only equality and uniformity.
By Pranjal Verma