The basic question that comes to a young mind when we talk about feminism is, “What is feminism, and in what context can we use this term?” In the initial period, when we used to talk about feminists and feminism, the main focus, according to most people, used to be on women and the rights that they deserve. Well, that kind of makes sense, doesn’t it?
So by definition, feminism, had originated in the 18th century and was a range of socio-political movements that aimed at elevating women to a position that would allow them to pursue equal opportunities. The history of feminism comprises the narratives, both chronological and thematic, of the movements and ideologies that aimed at equal rights for women. While feminists around the world have differed in causes, goals, and intentions depending on time, culture, and country, most Western feminist historians assert that all movements that work to obtain women’s rights should be considered feminist movements.
However, later in time, as the society evolved so did the definition of feminism. Initially centred around advocating for the rights of women (which still is, mainly, the focus) and fighting against gender stereotypes and improving educational, professional, and interpersonal opportunities and outcomes for women, feminism gradually turned into a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aimed to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of all sexes. And while feminism holds the position that societies prioritize the male point of view and that women are treated unjustly in these societies, it, now, does not only focus on the injustice brought upon the women but also men and the population belonging to the LGBTQIA+ Community as well.
For a very long time, society has been run and ruled by patriarchy. Patriarchy is instilled in individuals from a very young age and to such an extent that even those who do not understand the meaning of the word “Patriarchy” have been practicing it unconsciously, subconsciously, but mostly consciously.
Crimes against men
People believe that patriarchy, as the name implies, begins with the male member of the family displaying his dominance over the rest of the members of the house because he is the head of the family; however, what most people do not understand is that patriarchy was passed down through generations not only by the men to the next generation of men in the family but also by the women to the next generation in the family, irrespective of their genders, and patriarchy does not only limit to dominating a household or, as most of us understand it, to asserting man’s superiority and to prove that women will always be inferior to men in their own families as well as in the outside world.
Well, patriarchy does not only victimize the women in society; it also creates a tightly enclosed box for the men themselves. It establishes norms and standards that men in society must follow in order to be called men. They must be strong, never cry, hide their emotions, earn the family’s support by leading a healthy lifestyle, and act in a specific way. It also implies that the men in the family or, in the broader term, in the society cannot be wronged in any way.
However, the recent studies and surveys regarding crimes against men would beg to differ. While, a deriorating mental health among men might be termed as a collateral damage in building the ideal society that follows the norms “set by the society.” There are several other issues and challenges faced by the men in the society that are surfacing and eventually posing serious questions at the foundation of the movement of feminism.
Also read: Is Cutting Off Toxic People the Key to a Better Life?
Domestic Violence
The recent surveys have revealed that violence against men by women has also become as common a problem today as domestic violence against women has been. This incorporates all kinds of violence including economic, physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, as well as psychological abuse that harms a person’s psychological and physical health. In the present scenario, it is not just women who face gender-based violence in their daily lives but men as well.
In a male-dominated country, like ours, it has become unfathomable for people to believe that men can be the victims of violence as well, especially when it is domestic violence that we talk of. That probably explains why domestic abuse against men goes largely unnoticed by even the laws in India.
The existing laws in India do not currently protect men from intimate partner violence. Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code of 1860 states that a man can only be held liable for committing violence against his wife; there is no provision in the Act that holds women responsible for the same. Similarly, Section 3 of the Protection of Women from domestic Violence Act of 2005 specifies that it only protects women from domestic violence. No provision in the Act protects men from such violence. Having such a law creates the premise that males are always guilty and women are always innocent. Thereby proving that there is a greater to file charges or reports when a man is the victim of domestic violence.
Nonetheless, domestic abuse against men, is not the only challenge that is faced by me in the present times. As difficult as it maybe to believe, there have also been reports of sexual abuse and violence against men. While a lot of these cases are under-represented or de-emhasised in India, several other coutries have begun to recognise these challenges.
Sexual Abuse
According to a 2018 report on Family, domestic, and Sexual Violence in Australia, there were 4,100 recorded male victims of sexual violence by the Australian police in 2016. This figure contrasts with the 18,900 female victims reported during the same period. Consequently, male victims accounted for 17.8% of all victims recorded.
For male victims who experienced sexual violence since the age of 15, the report found that 55% reported a female perpetrator, while 51% reported a male perpetrator. It is noteworthy that some victims experienced sexual violence multiple times, and in such cases, abusers included both men and women.
In comparison, the report revealed that 98% of female victims since the age of 15 reported a male perpetrator, while 4.2% reported a female perpetrator. Similar to the male victims, there was also some overlap in cases where victims reported experiencing sexual violence from both male and female attackers.
Therefore, in a time when, most of the people identify themselves with the movement of feminism, it is safe to say that, we as feminists, or rather as a society have failed to protect either genders. Beginning with the misconceptions like feminism is to place women ahead of men or to give more opportunities to women or to belittle men, we as a society have misunderstood the entire revolution, that was feminism. With our biases towards the respective genders, we have misled the movement that was aimed at bringing equality amongst the people and place everybody on equal pedestals in order to provide everyone with the equal opportunities. Everytime women misused the privileges given to them to protect themselves, we failed as a society, everytime, men asserted their dominiance over women through their physical strength, we failed as a society. We failed as a society when a member of the LGBTQIA+ community died by suicide or a person with different choices died by suicide because they were bullied by people around them. At this point, Feminism seems to have become irrelevant, a movement, rendered ineffective, since we as a society are failing alogether.
Also read: Empowering Men’s Mental Health; Breaking Stereotypes and Seeking Solutions
