According to the Oxford Dictionary it is the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of the equality of the sexes. This equality falls over all categories such as politics, economy and social sectors. It is the belief that all genders, sexualities, disabilities and human beings are equal and therefore should be treated as such.
Is this a reality for many woman, people of colour, queer bodied individuals and disabled members of society? No it's not - and that's why feminism was created.
The feminist theory developed in the early 1920s from the feminist movements that were manifested by women for gender equality. This movement started in an attempt to allow women to have the right to vote, right of contract and property, abortion and reproductive rights, the right to protection against domestic violence, sexual harassment, rape and marital rape, etc.
Did you know in South Africa the Prevention of Family Violence Act (which criminalizes domestic abuse and marital rape) was only passed in 1993 but the first prosecution wasn't until 2012. This act doesn't exist in many countries.
According to the South African Police service in 2015/2016, 51 895 sexual violent crimes were reported. According to the NCVS only 25% of rapes are reported. This means the rape rate for women is significantly higher.
These statistics do not include sexual harassment, glances, catcalling and only speaks to penetrative rape. This is a very scary statistic and it is a continuous fear a lot of women in South Africa and around the world face.
This does not include workplace gender inequality. An article released by Brighthr.com showed that in 2018:
23% of women at work faced sexual harassment.
Only 8% of them have reported it.
43% of mothers faced maternity discrimination.
52% of women face mental health issues at work, compared to 42% of men.
According to Investec’s 2019 annual results the median hourly pay for women is 38.8% lower than that of men.
It is sometimes argued that women are not the “same” as men physically and the capabilities are different so there can’t be equality. In other words there is an implication that woman are weaker and smaller. It’s critical to understand that same does not mean equal. The issue here is about equal rights and equal access to opportunities. Not equal ability to push a car. Even the very notion of women being physically weaker is discriminatory.
These statistics are only the tip of the iceberg and speak to a much deeper rooted issue of Patriarchy. And this is why feminism is so important - it allows for education and exposure on these important issues. It creates a sense of support for the discriminated, it brings together ostracized communities and comes up with ways to solve these societal issues.
It is important to note that feminism benefits all genders, races, cultures, disabilities, etc. However in this post we have only covered the female scope but will focus on the benefits for other genders and demographics in later posts.
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