Feminism Isn't A Cult

Hiiii, so I have a confession,  I AM A FEMINIST , how stupid does that sound, that in this day and time that has to be a declaration but sadly it is, given the comments and shocked looks I get when they find out I am.

Just like a while back I was with a friend and we were discussing marriage I think and then I said I don’t think it’s compulsory to get married and then she was like  “Ah, I hope you have not joined those feminism people’’, I was shocked but I still said “ err , I am a feminist’’. Then she went into a talk, the whole time she was speaking you’d  think I joined a cult or a militant group.

 In a way I can’t blame her as a lot of people still think a whole  lot of things when they hear feminism;

·        They think we hate men

·        They think we are against marriages

·        They think it’s about who cooks or does chores.

 But no, feminism isn’t man hating and much more than chores, from what I have learnt feminism is about women being equal to men, having choices and a say regarding issues that affect them, and not having their whole lives decided for them. Feminism is about equality in all spheres of life. It is for every female to have a voice and be able to decide what to do with her life, the same way men do. Feminism is, not having to live according to a pinhole description of what a woman should be.

This also gives men the ability to free themselves from the shackles of misogyny, like the age old tale of being the provider in relationships. As feminists they start seeing themselves as partners of equal standing coming together and equally contributing to 

the relationship.

According to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie(someone I really love by the way), feminism advocates for the social, political and the economic equality of the sexes. This means that women should be able lead the lives in an embracing environment regardless of their gender. And before you say, it is a western or  Un-Nigerian phenomenon, since pre-colonial times there has been a number of feminists fighting for women rights and have given girls like me the ability to have things as basic as education. Women like Fumilola Ransome Kuti, Queen Amina, and Ebele Ejaunu to mention a few.

Concerning feminism, you can’t stand in the middle ground because there is none and just like any cause you are either for or against. You can't say you are indifferent because that just means that women being equal isn’t important. Even the bible says you can either be hot or cold not lukewarm. You can’t say you like or love me, yet you see no reason why I should be equal rights the you don’t like me.