MEN AND FEMINISM

Feminism, at its core, is derived from the Latin word ‘femine’, meaning woman. The feminist approach is considered a field of study that examines the challenges, oppression and subjugation women face simply because they are women, addressing the issues women experience in terms of class, race, nation, religion, language and other factors. Feminism encompasses the liberation of women, preventing their oppression, legitimizing their rights and ensuring that they have equal rights with men in their public or private actions and activities. Feminism opposes gender discrimination and advocates for economic, political, socio-cultural, and societal equality between the sexes. The primary goal of feminism is generally to secure women’s freedom and fundamental rights, along with the elimination of patriarchal structures and practices. Feminism does not mean hating men. It aims to address and dismantle the patriarchal structures and male dominance that still persist in the world, as well as to eliminate the systemic hatred women face simply because of their gender. Including men in the process of transforming gender relations is also of great importance. The deep social changes needed to achieve gender equality will not be achieved solely by women’s efforts but will also require the active participation of men. Violence against women is a significant issue worldwide, especially in Türkiye. Women continue to face inequality in all areas and human rights-related issues persist. The gender equality that feminism advocates for means equality in access to the right to life for both men and women, boys and girls. The equality discussed here does not mean that men and women are ‘the same’. It refers to both sides having equal rights in accessing the most basic human rights. Therefore, the concept of gender equality is not just about women but about men and women together.

Issues related to gender equality are mostly raised by women in the public sphere because inequality primarily affects women. Naturally, the demands for change also come from women. While the existing gender relations between men and women grant men power, authority, privilege and discriminate against women, these relations also have negative consequences for men, such as the suppression of emotions, isolation and alienation. These negative outcomes show that achieving equality will not benefit women but also men. The importance of men’s participation in gender equality, as advocated by feminism, is a conclusion reached both theoretically and through the work of international forces like the UN and the European Union. Despite the increasing research and initiatives in recent years on men’s involvement in gender equality, there is still considerable resistance from men to this equality.

There are many reasons for this resistance. Some oppose feminism because they fear losing their power and want to protect their economic interests. Behind the resistance of some men to feminism lies their belief in male superiority. Research on violence against women supports this view, revealing that many men who commit violence against women hold very conservative views about women’s roles in the household and believe they have the authority to ‘correct’ any mistakes made by women according to their own beliefs.

While gender inequality affects women more, it also has negative consequences for men. At the root of these consequences are the rigid expectations society has developed regarding ‘masculinity’. Society creates stereotypical ideas about what is considered appropriate for both men and women, and expects men to fulfill the roles and behaviors that align with these expectations. Men adopt and try to conform to this pressure in order to be accepted. In many societies, men are expected to be physically strong, sexually capable, willing to take risks and responsible for providing for their wives and children. This ideal situation, which consist of gender roles and is referred to as hegemonic masculinity, is not attainable for every man. These expectations and the inequality they bring cause serious pressure on men. Men also have responsibilities in achieving this equality. Primarily, as long as men continue to perpetuate and fail to challenge sexist roles and practices, they will remain responsible for gender inequalities. No matter how gender inequalities are examined, men’s behaviors, attitudes and relationships are components of these inequalities. Therefore, men must recognize the attitudes and behaviors that cause these inequalities and work to change them. Men also need to move away from the belief that any step gained by women through gender equality is a privilege lost by men. Equality benefits the whole society. A study conducted in Finland has proven that equality benefits every individual in society (Ministry of Social Affairs and Health of Finland,2006).

To emphasize once again, feminism has nothing to do with hating men. Feminism is a movement that aims to end gender inequality, which benefits no one in society, and to stop sexist exploitation and oppression of women. Men can be feminist too. Feminism is for everyone.

SOURCES

https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/269956

https://www.aile.gov.tr/media/2533/handansayer.pdf 

https://feminist.org/news/feminism-is-for-men-too/

Zafer TOPRAK, Türkiye’de Kadın Özgürlüğü ve Feminizm

SILA MEDETOĞULLARI

BÖLGESEL ANALİZ TOPLULUĞU

SİYASET BİLİMİ VE ULUSLARASI İLİŞKİLER

MUĞLA SITKI KOÇMAN ÜNİVERSİTESİ