Why am I a feminist?

I have been frequently asked by my family, friends and even strangers as to why I call myself a feminist. People even get angry when they realize that I call myself a feminist. To all these negative reactions and questions: I have just one defense: Why are you not a feminist? Do you not believe in equality for all human beings? Well if you do my friend, (and I sincerely hope you do) then you are a feminist. A feminist is someone who believes in giving women the same equal opportunities that men have so freely enjoyed from the beginning of time. Feminists are not people who want to deny anyone rights. We believe in equality and justice for everyone. Is it so hard for people to understand this very simple humanitarian concept? I actually know the answer to that one. Yes, it has been and it will continue to be unless everyone starts speaking out. I am not scared of calling myself a feminist and neither should you be.

There is another extremely interesting response. “But you currently enjoy all the rights men do. What more do you want?”  Do I? Am I allowed to walk at night alone? (This one applies to women in developed and developing countries) Am I allowed to choose what I want with my body? If I dress like a man, will I be treated like a man? Will everyone see me as an equal, both in the classroom and in the workplace? The next question is a particular favorite of mine and every woman who lives in a developing country will nod their heads at this one: Am I allowed to walk on the streets without being stared at my chest? Am I allowed to get into a crowded bus and not be groped? Will I be guaranteed safety in my workplace and in my commute to work? Will girl fetuses continue to be thrown into ditches before they even take in their first breath? Will my parents need to save every penny to get me married off to a nice groom? Will I be able to choose the man I want to spend the rest of my life with? If I do fall in love, will I and my partner be guaranteed safety from the so-called moral policing in the society? Will I be able to have a job and support myself financially after getting married? Why do I need to quit my job when my partner and I have children? If it was an equal marriage, why should I be the one who should be subjected to the pain of childbirth? Will I be granted equal pay, when I perform the same amount of work as men do?  Will I be guaranteed asylum if my husband abuses me either physically or mentally? These and countless other questions should cloud the mind of every thinking woman and man. I admit that most of these questions become relevant more so in developing countries than in developed countries. As long as I am denied my rights, I shall fight for them. This blog is my hope. Through this blog I am trying to speak up for all those women who are unable to speak up and move along silently for the whims of this patriarchy? And again I ask the same question: Why are you not a feminist?

I take this time, space and oxygen to thank all those brave women and men who have fought for the very rights we currently enjoy and so often we all take for granted. If not for the selfless acts of these very fabulous people, I would probably have been married off at an age of 5, denied education, and been pregnant several times over and looking after three or four kids at the age of 12. Thank you for fighting for all of our rights. I will definitely try to pay homage to several of you as frequently as possible. I also promise to continue fighting for our rights in my own way.