Essay on Feminism for Class 10, 12, Mains Exam (UPSC, PSC, SSC)
Introduction: Feminism refers to the belief in the political, economic and social equality of women. The concept largely emanates in the West and it is widely manifested by a large number of institutions across the world. History has records that women are mostly confined within domestic realism and they were mostly taught to be submissive.
The term feminism is derived from the Latin word, Femina, which means women and this term was used to address the equal rights of women. However, the ideology of feminism varies from one person to another person. Some perceive that feminism jeopardizes the male-dominated structures and others think that feminism is just a way to voice their own thoughts and opinions in a way that will not make them subservient.
Types of feminism: Feminism is of three types namely, radical, ecofeminism and Marxist feminism. Radical feminism occurred in the early 1960s and 1980s and gains its prominence mainly in the Europe and United States. The main motto of the radical feminist is to overthrow the already established patriarchy to liberate women from the shackles of domestic roles and violence. The radical feminists raised their opinions about reproductive rights, identifying women as sexual objects and held massive protests against sexual harassment and assaults. Even heterosexual gender roles were challenged by radical feminists.
Marxist feminism began in the 1840s which treated reproduction with respect to production to construe women’s oppression and exploitation in the context of capitalism.
In the US, Marxism feminism in 1930 claimed greater attention to the economic and political dimensions of racism combined with class exploitation and sexism. Moreover, the gap between masculinity and femininity gender ideologies is explored by Marist feminism. The preference for capitalist values in determining the values is questioned by Marxist feminism.
Ecofeminism is a branch of feminism which does not focus on theoretical and political aspects. Instead, it is more spiritual in nature which considers the exploitation and the destruction of the natural world as the oppression of women. This concept emerged in the middle of the 1970s and aimed to alleviate the status of women in society, thereby improving their living conditions.
Importance of feminism:
In the true sense of the term, feminism means gender equality by putting an end to the exploitation and oppression of women. We live in a society where women are still not treated on par with men on certain grounds, For instance, in research conducted by the Pew Research Centre in India, 53 per cent of women and 48 per cent of men say that educating boys is more important than educating girls. Indian households still believe that women shall be obliged to listen to their husbands. In addition, when it comes to rape, it is the women and their families who are the worst sufferers.
There are some people who confuse the concept of pseudo-feminism and feminism. In the name of feminism, a section of women takes advantage of men. Following this, some men develop a sense of disgust toward women. When the question arises, of why women need relaxation in getting jobs or admission to educational institutions, the question is not about a pseudo-feminist. It is because women have been oppressed for years and now they require equal liberty as that of men.
Conclusion: In conclusion, it can be said that feminism is a social movement that has taken place in a variety of phases as a means of peace against ending patriarchal rule. Initially, it began as an incoherent system, but in the present day, feminism is a widely accepted ideology which embodies women’s autonomous identity. It is expected that with the passing of time, feminism will create an awakening among the masses thereby liberating women from the shackles of misery, if any, they are going through
Frequently Asked Questions
1.) What is feminism?
Feminism refers to the belief in the political, economic and social equality of women
2.) State the types of feminism.
Radical, marxit and ecofeminism
3.) Define ecofeminism.
It is more spiritual in nature which considers the exploitation and the destruction of the natural world as the oppression of women.
4.) State the importance of feminism.
To give equal political, social, educational, and economic life to women to sustain in society with dignity and prosperity.
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