Women perform significant social, work, and parenting functions on an equal basis with men. However, in some cases, they barely have the same rights and freedoms as men do (Feminism is for everybody). I believe that even in the 21st century, we can note a tremendous gap between men and women in various fields. Development and utilization of the theory of feminism on our modern world structure have a significant potential to make it more flexible, comprehensive, and holistic. Activities on this topic sufficiently indicate the nature, prerequisites, and possible ways of resolving a severe social conflict remaining to our day.
It cannot be precisely stated that the theory has one general tendency in common. There are many varying forms and directions, including a different set of goals and united by overall feminine strength and influence. These feminist flows often overlap with each other and complement the comprehensive representation. Topics covered by feminist theory include discrimination, objectification (especially the sexual one), oppression and patriarchy, as well as stereotypes, art history, literature, and even more. It is aimed at elucidating the nature of gender inequality based on experience, social roles, and predispositions of people (Ferguson, 2017). I consider it not as the contribution to the solely female segment of society but all vulnerable groups of people. The struggle for the same rights, wages, freedom of speech, and autonomy of choice is aimed not only at personal gain but also at improving the general structure of society.
The theory has always faced many limitations and prejudices in all countries. Although the current world recognizes the presence of gender inequality, examination and resolution of this topic always had faced many barriers that were never gone. One of the biggest obstacles was political impotence: women did not have the right to vote in many nations until the middle of the 20th century. With no right to vote, it was improbable to elect a politician who shared the idea of equality. Second, women have always been paid less than men, and this fact remains so. Due to the lack of economic resources, it is hard to afford effective large-scale campaigns. The third severe limitation is the widespread physical and emotional abuse of women. Sexual assault was always widely used as a way to keep a female in her place. A fourth important notion is that women continue to face ridicule and strong bias about feminism in the United States and around the world (Lemaitre, 2020). In the more enlightened and open-minded circumstances of the modern world, it is necessary to recognize the importance of feminist theory for a better future. Women have the emotional strength, solid convictions, and strong personalities to change lives for the better.
Many cultures still use organized and individual disturbances to perpetuate sex and gender norms. Society has unjustly endowed men and women with unequal power. Views on gender have exacerbated wage inequalities, discriminatory treatment at work or school, unequal access to resources, and political power. It poses serious obstacles to researching on gender equality topic and requires much strength as it has to contend with limited resources (FitzGerald & Carline, 2021). The activists of this theory put forward bold ideas that may not be liked by the dominant part of society and thereby put themselves in danger. However, this only shows the strength of the idea and the resilience of its followers. This approach gives the vulnerable sectors of society a voice and the courage to assert their rights and freedoms. The theory is now being actively developed and applied in many fields such as anthropology and sociology, communication, media, psychology, literature, education, philosophy (Ferguson, 2017). I believe that each step forward in this direction moves society towards a more inclusive and tolerant future.
References
Ferguson, Kathy, E. (2017). Feminist theory today. Annual Review of Political Science, 20, 269–286.
FitzGerald, Sharron A. & Carline, A. (2021). Society and social change: Grand challenges and good trouble. Frontiers in Human Dynamics.
Lemaitre, J. (2020). Transitional justice and the challenges of a feminist peace. International Journal of Constitutional Law, 18(2), 455–460.
Feminism is for everybody. (2019) The Lancet.