This article analyzes how the feminist movement has lost its original purpose in some circles and has turned into a form of female supremacy, diagnoses the causes of this problem, and suggests the right direction for feminism to take to achieve true gender equality.
Words like feminism, feminist, and women’s rights are very common these days. Feminism is derived from the Latin word femina, which means “having the qualities of a woman,” and refers to a women’s liberation ideology that resists the oppression of women due to sexist and androcentric views. Feminists are those who follow these feminist ideas. In this sense, feminism and feminists seem like good ideas and good people. However, events have shown that this is not necessarily a positive culture.
In recent years, there’s no denying that feminism has become a confusing concept for many people. This is because feminism has been taken to extremes and used in ways that are not in line with its original intentions. These issues can cause great controversy in society and lead to conflicts between the genders. This phenomenon causes some people to view feminism in a negative light and distorts the ideals of gender equality that feminism originally strives for. Therefore, we need to clearly recognize that feminism is not only about advocating for women’s rights, but also about pursuing a society where everyone is equal, regardless of gender.
Let’s take a look at the Isu Station incident, which was a major issue in Korea a long time ago. The incident happened on the evening of November 13, 2018, at a bar. Initially, the incident became an issue because a sister wrote on a feminist website that she was beaten because she was a woman. The sister’s complaint on the feminist site was twofold. They claimed that the couple stared at them and laughed at them, and that a group of men joined the couple in criticizing and attacking them, and that the group of men secretly filmed the incident with a camera. But that’s not what the bar’s CCTV footage showed. The sisters were the first to curse at the group of men, using sexually degrading words, and the first to approach them, grabbing them by the throat and assaulting them. The men stood their ground, raising their hands to show they weren’t willing to attack, but she wasn’t having any of it. Before the video went viral, the sister’s post became a petition to the Blue House, garnering nearly 300,000 supporters.
This one incident alone shows that the wrong feminists are ruining the good intentions of feminism. The sisters above started with “feminism” and ended with “female superiority. They labeled what they were doing as “feminism” and “feminists” when they were the ones who were initiating, sexually harassing, and violent. Taken to the extreme, this is bad masquerading as good. This distortion of behavior clouds the original purpose of feminism, and is a huge setback for those seeking true gender equality.
Good feminism is about correcting the reality that men are perceived as superior and women as non-male sexes or flawed men, and the many wrong policies that oppress women. I believe that a feminist who acts to establish proper femininity and fix policies that hinder gender equality is a feminist who practices true feminism. To do this, we need to stop thinking that women should be embraced and men should be excluded. Not all men or women are the same. We shouldn’t look at gender when judging a situation, but rather look at the objective flow of the situation and make the right decision. I think this is the most basic skill that everyone needs at this point in time.
Also, in order to understand feminism properly, we need to remind ourselves of its fundamental purpose. Feminism is not about pitting men against women, it’s about creating a society where everyone is respected equally. Instead of promoting conflict between the genders, we should recognize their differences and find ways to coexist. This way, gender equality will naturally occur throughout society.
Instead of labeling your situation as feminism, you need to live up to the definition of feminism and say you are a feminist. “I think there are so many people who are not, and that’s why there are so many feminism-related incidents like the Isu Station incident, the Gangnam Station incident, and so on.” If individuals reflected on their behavior and corrected their mistakes, I think many of these incidents would be reduced. What I would like to emphasize is that there are many people who claim to be feminists, but they are not inherently different from chauvinists or patriarchal people. Misogynists dress up their behavior as mirroring (a word coined to mean an intentional act of imitation), but it is never justified. If you know that patriarchy is wrong and you act the same way as them, you’re just becoming the same person.
1. true feminists should not be misogynists.
2. true feminists should make patriarchal people realize what’s wrong and fix it.
3. true feminists don’t intentionally emulate them and become like them.
If feminists truly want to see a society where men and women are equal, these three principles are essential. If feminism is to become more than an ideology, but a movement that brings about real change, it must adhere to these principles. By doing so, we can create a society where men and women can live side by side, and move toward a better future.
