The 21st Century Male Feminist

“I call myself a feminist. Isn’t that what you call someone who fights for women’s rights?”�€” The Dalai Lama

Women’s issues, women empowerment, feminism have all become the latest buzzwords. But this does not necessarily mean they are understood by people who have an opinion, whether negative or positive, on the subject.

What does it mean to be a feminist? A few everyday examples:

A man in the office: “I was travelling in the general compartment of the Mumbai Local. It was peak hour and there were 4 people sitting on the bench. I was sitting 2nd from the window and a woman was sitting on the aisle seat. She was the 4th person and so the crowd kept banging into her. She looked uncomfortable so I gave her my seat. When she was getting off, she said thank-you. Made me feel I had done something right.”

A woman in Delhi: “It was late and I was waiting for an auto. Many had refused to go because it was such a short distance. By 8.30 pm I was in full blown panic. I was new to the city and had heard all the horror stories. This one auto almost refused but then he decided to take me. Throughout the ride, he kept telling me not to panic because he could see I was worried. I didn’t think anything of it but once I was safely home, I was very grateful; not only for his service but also for his words.”

Feminism, to the uninitiated, may mean male-bashing, man-hating, etc. You may not be completely wrong since that is how it has recently been portrayed. But in its ‘purest’ form, feminism does not mean female dominance or female superiority; in its purest form, it simply means equality.

The 21st century man does not need to take very gallant steps to join the ranks of people fighting to make equality a reality. Simple, everyday steps of mutual respect and harmony areall that is needed.

It is this kind of gender Sensitisation that Complykaro seeks to promote in Organisations. Our focus is not to put a man down in order to accommodate a woman. Our focus is not to take-away men’s rights in order to serve women’s rights. Our focus here is to sensitise men to champion women’s causes. Our focus is to promote equality, where both men and women can work together in a conducive environment.