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To truly understand feminism, we must be aware of it's historical context.
Feminist eras have been divided into distinct waves. First wave feminism began in the occidental world during the 19th century. This movement was centred around basic rights, particularly the right to vote. This movement's main advocates were Caucasian women. The second wave marked a pronounced shift; women of colour began to voice their qualms about the unequal treatment of women in society. Issues tackled were those such as dress code and employment. Third-wave feminism began in the 1990s and promoted diversity and individualism amongst all individuals.
The movement has undergone some great idealistic shifts since it was first born, notedly being the unpopular fourth-wave feminism, which makes people afraid to label themselves a feminist. Fourth-wave feminism began in 2012 and is known for the opinions of some radical “feminists” that choose to exclude transgender women in their advocacy for rights. Some of these feminists have also been openly misandrist, and it is important to know that whilst they have been the most vocal, their opinion does not reflect those of the majority of women that identify as feminists.
The feminist agenda does not solely encompass the STEM field struggles. The Merriam-Webster definition of feminism is “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.” If you agree with this statement, then you, by definition, are a feminist. None of the radical connotations should apply to you. Society is the one which has imposed the expectation of men going into STEM fields. Equal rights means equal opportunity, so if a man wished to go into a non-STEM field, then they would have the support of essentially every pre-fourth-wave feminist and a great portion of fourth-wave feminists. The problem here is not contrived from feminists supporting the male stereotype; the stereotype has been around long before feminism. In fact, feminism has helped reduce many other stereotypes that apply to men, such as the breadwinning role. The need to promote women in STEM comes from a shortage of women in STEM. The article author argues that this is a natural state, but even if it is so, before the support for women in STEM came about, many women were discouraged from joining STEM fields even if their interests lay within them. For example, my grandmother wanted to become an engineer but was forced into an arranged marriage aged twenty and was discouraged from pursuing her true interests. Instead, her in-laws found her a job as a teacher of Hindi literature, only to have her husband to die of a cardiovascular condition and leave her with three children to raise and a job she despised.
Perhaps the real issue here is the new archetype of the working woman. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but as the original article author mentions, women who work occasionally tend to look down on women who do not. This is not a problem with feminism; this is a problem of attitude. Working or not working does not make one more or less than another. It is a matter of personal choice, and whatever choice is made, a person who follows the simple feminist ideology would support it. I have a great respect for my mother who does not work; she is one of the most compassionate, intelligent, and witty women I have had the pleasure to know, and I am doing my best to learn from her. Is that not what should count?
The previous author stated that “Women’s rights groups, just like children’s rights, is a case on its own.” The question I ask is that if feminism excludes women’s rights, then what does it entail? The movement was founded on women’s rights. The point was to “match up to men,” but this does not mean that we are expected to be men. We are merely asking to be treated equally. We can “match up to men” by being given the same amount of legal and civil freedom. The stigma of the term “feminist” has arisen only as of late, and if one is truly shallow-minded enough to subscribe to it, then it is a personal problem. You need to ask yourself what you believe in, not what the media paints for you to observe and then believe in. In this day and age, it has grown increasingly difficult to do so, but it is far from impossible.
The author of the original article has raised many valid points in regards to STEM field promotion amongst women, and the expectation that men, too, should go into STEM. However, nitpicking at a minor aspect is not adequate grounds for dismissing the entire movement, which, at its core, is the promotion of equal rights amongst all genders. Yes, the word stems from "feminine," which is a dated concept as the movement has come to envelop equal rights amongst all people, but by denouncing the word, we are losing a key reminder of the progressive and illustrious history of the movement. As Simone de Beauvoir says, "I wish that every human life might be pure, transparent freedom."
Read the response here.