Feminism: Is Gender Equality Even Possible?

Feminism has become a household word in today’s world because of growing concerns about the inequality that lingers across genders. We live in a society where a gender(male) is seen superior to the other (female), perhaps because they have the tendencies of growing muscles and beards. But women also have tendencies of growing their own stuff you know.

For the benefit of those who are oblivious of the meaning of the overly used word, it “the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes”.

The subject of feminism and all it entails usually irks sexists because it preaches contradicting trends to what they stand for.

Personally, I think feminism is something that is worth discussing for days, sadly, a lot of people even the so-called feminists are even confused and usually throw caution to the wind so they wouldn’t be painted in a bad light especially in this clime where such people are branded ‘evil’ and all sorts.

In fact, there is even Feminism Lite according to the renowned author, Chimamanda Adichie, and people under this category are those who believe in gender equality on certain occasions. More like, conditional feminism.

Such people believe that men and women ought to be equal in the society, but when it comes to things like paying the bill, it should be passed to the men.

Ideally, feminism should entail splitting the bills equally just the way you believe that your rights should be equal devoid of the ‘the man is the head and the woman is the neck brouhaha’.

So, is true feminism even possible?

Chimamanda has been on the lips of several Nigerians across social media following her statement that bride price should be totally scrapped as it suggests that a woman is being sold off all in the name of marriage.

The only thing left for some overtly irritated Nigerians who are embittered by her comment is to get a machete and slit her throat and save the world such ‘nuisance’ who apparently suggested that there should be a groom price instead.

But in the real sense of it, the society has made marriage look like it is an exclusive achievement for the female folks, hence it is a usual sight to see a prayer house filled with single ladies who are in desperate quest to tie the knot and probably make the world know that she has achieved something really huge.

Societal pressures are usually on ladies once they get to 25 and are still unmarried. Such young girls will be faced with the question ‘who is he’, ‘when are you inviting us to drink’ and the likes, forgetting that those women have dreams which are very much valid and might not necessarily be achieved by getting married.

Men are usually revered to have a higher tendency at doing things better as if abilities come pre-installed in their penises and beards (for those who grow them).

With the brand of people I see every day across the social media, this feminism ideology might take forever to be generally accepted, but like every other life’s lessons, consistency brings the trophy for hard work.

It is about time we began to ask ourselves questions like ‘why should a woman be seen as inferior to a man?’, ‘Why are women always placed at the receiving end?’, “Are men not deserving of being receptors themselves?’, ‘Why does it have to be the woman who would stay off work to take care of the family while the man does the regular 9–4 to make ends meet?’, ‘Who created these rules?’.

We should learn to question things, that way, we will have make a better society.

For the bossy folks, nobody is trying to dictate how or what you should do with your lives, it is just a simple logic of trying to understand what we do — why are men allowed to sit with legs wide apart while women are expected to make sure their laps kiss passionately when they do same?, why are women expected to always be seen in the kitchen while men are expected to be in the living room, sole custodian of the remote and changing channels like a baby would change diapers? Why are there more expectations from the female folks than there is for the male folks?

The future is not female but the ‘Now’ is female. It is about time women were given equal opportunities as men in the society. Women should stop being relegated to the background because of their gender which they apparently do not have any control over.

Women can be presidents as well as men. They can become successful in politics just like men. Women can be CEOs as well as men.

Yes, there are female CEOs worldwide and most of them behave well better than some of their male counterparts. I can very well attest to this.

Sometimes, it is not about gender, but it is everything about a person’s abilities, it is about a person’s passion, it is about a person’s goals and aspirations. Unfortunately, these are most times buried in the sands of time as a result of archaic belief systems that place men above women with the ‘head and neck’ cliché.

Hopefully, we will someday get to the point where everyone is given a fair opportunity to grow and become, irrespective of gender affiliations.