How Feminism Helps Everyone

Feminism, as a term, has been in existence for over one hundred years and it has been controversial for every single one of them. The idea of equal opportunity and treatment between the sexes is largely appealing to many people in the modern era. However, when the actual term ‘feminism’ is used, it’s easy to find that many people have differing opinions on its morality.

A common argument against feminism is that “Men have issues, too.” This is standard because feminism originated as part of the women’s rights movement. People who use this argument believe that the larger focus on women that many vocal feminists have is invalidating the issues of men and implying that the advantages men have in society prove that they have no problems. This is largely where the divide between feminists and those who oppose them comes from.

It is correct that men have challenges unique to them. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), the highest rate of suicide is in middle-aged white men. In fact, men died by suicide a total of 3.56 times more than women. The general consensus is that men believe that they must hide, control, and suppress their emotions due to societal pressure. Plenty of people consider it “weird” if a man cries.

That being said, we must also take into account women’s issues. For example, 60% of women report unwanted sexual harassment in the workplace, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. However, 90% of those who experience said harassment never reported it. This is due to the belief that they won’t be heard or will be treated as blowing it out of proportion. 

Men are suffering because they can’t be emotional. Women are suffering because they are seen as too emotional. Everybody is suffering and nobody can say how they feel.

So, it is a fact that “men have issues, too”. Nevertheless, this isn’t a good argument against feminism. This is because all of the said issues come from the same belief. It is the belief that men are stronger and tougher, while women are softer and weaker. 

In fact, it is this very inequality that the feminist movement aims to fix. 

There is a widespread misunderstanding about what feminism is and what it represents. According to Webster’s Dictionary, it is defined as “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes”. At no point does it focus on one particular gender, because that is exactly what the movement wants. It means to reach total equality between the sexes. 

So, why is it still used as a trump card against feminism? Well, as previously stated, it is a common belief that feminism is for the empowerment of women only, while neglecting the problems men face. This makes things personal and has moved many people to a feeling of “Us vs. them.” This mindset only sets us back further. If we’re fighting each other, there’s no way we can fight our societal issues in a proficient and effective way. If we blame each other for our own issues, nothing will get resolved. That is why it feels as if no significant movements have been made in recent years. It’s because we can’t really agree if one gender has an issue in the first place. Many believe only one “side” can be right and that they are the only ones who are actually facing obstacles.

There is no easy fix to this issue, but it shouldn’t take ages to remedy. There’s also a lot you can do on a personal level to start moving us in the right direction. 

All you need to do is listen. If we listen to each other when we talk about the issues we face based on our sex or gender, we won’t be as divided. If our forces aren’t divided, we’ll be able to focus our energy on actually fixing our problems. Instead of arguing on who has it harder, we can actually work to lower men’s suicide rates. We can work to make it safer for women to speak on harassment. We can help everyone feel safer expressing their emotions regardless of what society thinks of their gender. In no time, we should be able to make progress, no matter what we choose to tackle.

Humans are good at one thing in particular and that is talking. If we talk and add in a little bit of listening, gender-based problems may not be the only disputes we can solve.