Why Feminism is for men too – Men Talk Feminism

Under patriarchy we pretend only half the population is important. This is at best digging ones head in the sand and at worst keeping half the population from maximising their full potential without understanding the cost of this to everyone. How absurd! We are all connected through our hearts and minds. I am not sure how relevant gender needs to be in the equation. Feminism is the door to inclusion for all.

Under patriarchy men live with privileges they haven’t necessarily earned. Knowing this makes us defensive, angry and dishonest. Not knowing this makes us simply ignorant and self deceiving. Feminism is a wake up call to men to be more self aware, more honest and more inclusive. And for men it will be a release from a dishonest burden they carry.

I never really engaged with the stereotypical ‘men’s’ world growing up. And besides isn’t this simply common sense?

1) All the women who I have grown up with, shared houses with shared relationships with would describe themselves as feminist- Therefore feminism has to be relevant to me . 2) Feminism is about Equality Justice and Respect , therefore it is impinges upon men and is valuable and relevant to any man who wants to live in a world of equality and respect 3) Ending Men’s Violence and Abuse against Women is a fundamental call of feminism - Any man who remains silent about men’s violence is excusing and condoning the violence , so again Feminism is relevant to men -

It helps us to understand what we need to do to live in a better world It challenges us to change any inappropriate behaviours It challenges us to do our share of Caring, Cleaning and other household work. It provides vast energy to support the work of White Ribbon campaign when not enough men are active in supporting our work .

I went to an English public school so by the age of 18 had massive feelings of entitlement - for a critique of modern day equivalent see the work of Everyone’s Invited and the 20,000 testimonies of young women’s experience of male entitlement . I had a great sense of Equality.My diaries of that time show that I was challenged by girl friends of the time to do more . At University I lived in mixed communal houses and learnt a lot from the women there. By the time I left University in 1976 I was organising Crèches against Sexism , was interested in the patriarchal implications of Contraception , and shortly afterwards had a relationship with a woman who had been very active in the Women’s Liberation demo at Miss World in 1970. I have been learning ever since , mostly in practice rather than by reading , although I was on the collective for Achilles Heel “a magazine for changing men “

There is inequality everywhere, and inherent biases in most social interactions. Feminism helps men realize the position of privilege we enjoy for no real reason other than being born a certain way. Even higher for cis-het men.

Understanding Feminism helps men realize how to best interact with other people and to recognize the hurdles faced by them due to their gender, race and orientation. It also helps men feel comfortable putting their family and their emotional well-being ahead of their work, and for the organization to recognize that.

I'm sure I didn't, when growing up in an Indian family with 2 elder sisters. I was doubly biased towards (the sole son and the youngest child) by everyone in the extended family. However, my school helped me have normal non-romantic relationships with several girls, so I was less socially awkward in college. This helped me slowly realize the extent of the biases, since I was one of the few boys that some of the girls in class could rely on. During work, I gravitated towards being fully Feminist when I started managing other people. I did end up having quite some debates with family (my parents as well as in-laws) when I decided to take a career break when our son was born. My wife's better salary definitely helped. Now, I feel like a lone voice when I advocate greater freedoms for my niece than my nephews.

If as men we aren't part of the solution, then we are part of the problem. I believe that all men need to be part of the conversation and action around Feminism and gender equity.

The masculine trope is harmful to men, and so men as well as women can benefit from Feminism, from de-masculinising the norms and power structures of how society is run.

Yes, since I was a teenager I have had strong role modeling from the women in my life to stand up and speak out against discrimination towards women. Silence is tolerance.

It is relevant to men because equality is relevant to men. If we are after true equality, then I believe that all men should be feminists. I know there is so much stigma and emasculation around feminism but I truly believe that it makes you into a well-rounded human being. Whether you have a woman in your life that you care about or not, it is still relevant to you as it combats toxic masculinity.

As I said previously, it helps to dismantle Toxic Masculinity, it opens up spaces for men to express who they are without judgement of being hyper masculine all of the time. Emotions are not feminine and Strength is not masculine, it is all a part of being a full human being. I think without both, we sometimes suffer as men. I am aware that there are times that it is not best to show your emotions and you want to remain strong but with the right people, in the right time, it is okay to not be okay. It is okay to cry. It is okay to admit that you need help. And that's what I feel like feminism has done.

Frankly, no. I embraced the idea of feminism but not the name. As a 12-year-old, being surrounded by other lynx-wearing, bravado-driven boys, you want to assert your dominance in one way or another. Despite being severely bullied in school, I still wanted to fit in in some way, so I denied my feminist views by laughing at the name. I have been brought up to be a feminist without even knowing it. My mum and dad both strongly believe in gender equality and it has been evident in how they raised me and in their marriage. I love them dearly as well as my grandmothers and aunties who are feminist icons in my humble opinion. Watching content creators like Lilly Singh really helped me to understand more about feminism and now I am so passionate about it. I believe that all men should be actively using their privilege to uplift women's voices.