Feminism is more than your having a daughter, sister, mother and wife. Feminism is not the struggle for the welfare of your immediate family.
Feminism is about the female humans, especially the females you do not know, and who may and will never benefit from your benevolence.
That's why we seek to make sure gender equality is integrated into all our existing systems: schools, work places, public services, government and laws. Because just like I want the women I know to be secured, I also want the women I do not know to enjoy that same form of security.
Besides, let me ask you, what would you do if didn't have a daughter or sister? What if your mother grew up in a privileged home? Wouldn't you recognise the legitimacy of the feminist movement?
We ought to be careful about the reasons we give for supporting a cause. You want to show that you care but you end up exposing yourself as someone who cares not because he or she truly cares but because he or she cares about a particular person.
To make an example, I'm not gay. Nobody in my family is gay. I don't have close gay friends. I have no reason to support the LGBT community to be honest as their struggled do not affect me or any of my intimate relationships.
But I still care.
I care because I recognise that it's the fundamental right of every human being to fulfil their primary need of forming a bond with another person: emotional, mental, and sexual as long as the two people agree and consent.
There are many causes I support that do not affect me. I'm most passionate about feminism because I'm a woman. Nevertheless, I could easily carry a placard and join the protest for the abolition of child abuse and trafficking, child marriage, sexual discrimination, discrimination against people with disability, etc.
I could because all these issues are human issues.
Feminism is not the struggle for your daughter, wife, sister and mother. It's the struggle for every girl and woman around the world, and it could just happen that you have a daughter, wife, sister and mother who will benefit from it.
Feminism is about the female humans, especially the females you do not know, and who may and will never benefit from your benevolence.
That's why we seek to make sure gender equality is integrated into all our existing systems: schools, work places, public services, government and laws. Because just like I want the women I know to be secured, I also want the women I do not know to enjoy that same form of security.
Besides, let me ask you, what would you do if didn't have a daughter or sister? What if your mother grew up in a privileged home? Wouldn't you recognise the legitimacy of the feminist movement?
We ought to be careful about the reasons we give for supporting a cause. You want to show that you care but you end up exposing yourself as someone who cares not because he or she truly cares but because he or she cares about a particular person.
To make an example, I'm not gay. Nobody in my family is gay. I don't have close gay friends. I have no reason to support the LGBT community to be honest as their struggled do not affect me or any of my intimate relationships.
But I still care.
I care because I recognise that it's the fundamental right of every human being to fulfil their primary need of forming a bond with another person: emotional, mental, and sexual as long as the two people agree and consent.
There are many causes I support that do not affect me. I'm most passionate about feminism because I'm a woman. Nevertheless, I could easily carry a placard and join the protest for the abolition of child abuse and trafficking, child marriage, sexual discrimination, discrimination against people with disability, etc.
I could because all these issues are human issues.
Feminism is not the struggle for your daughter, wife, sister and mother. It's the struggle for every girl and woman around the world, and it could just happen that you have a daughter, wife, sister and mother who will benefit from it.
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