
Feminism; a movement for men? / Nahid Dostdar
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Naeimeh Dostdar
In the past, there has been a discussion among feminists – who have mainly been women for historical reasons – about whether men can also be feminists. Should men, who are believed by many to be the main agents of patriarchal and gender-based inequality and have dominated the structures of the world for centuries, be allowed to enter the realm of the fight?
On the other hand, day by day, the number of men who identify themselves as feminists and strive for gender equality is increasing. Today’s world supports the idea of gender equality more than ever before, which is why men like Justin Trudeau in Canada speak about gender equality in major policies, and male writers and theorists support feminism in their works. Many young men also join campaigns to support women’s rights.
Feminism is a school of thought; a school for creating change in the world of gender inequalities. It is a cognitive and theoretical school that, with belief in it, can be used to fight on a macro level in politics and society, as well as provide a lens for looking at various aspects of human life. One can be an activist for women’s rights, or simply use it to choose books, watch movies, listen to music, or interpret everyday life and individual existence.
Feminism does not recognize whether a person is a woman or a man; any individual, regardless of their gender, can fall into one of these categories and equality can be their way of life.
With this perspective, we can and should open doors for men who have voluntarily taken steps towards achieving gender equality and allow them to bring this discourse to their fellow homosexuals. But what exactly is a feminist man?
“We speak of a world where actions speak louder than words: from a place where, when the curtains fall, the record of intellectuals, writers, and political activists is stained with the belief in sexual equality. We speak of a record where political activists roll their eyes when they hear women speak and make jokes when discussing equality. We speak of a record where men believe in equality, but when women’s memoirs are published, scenes of violence, humiliation, and disregard cannot be overlooked. We speak of a world where major policies are written based on these everyday habits.”
It is not far-fetched that an active man who advocates for equality may be conservative in using the term “feminist”. The patriarchal structure probably labels his feminist activities as emasculating. A man who simply desires an equal relationship in his personal life, grants equal rights to women, and takes on equal responsibilities, does not see it as a form of male dominance. It doesn’t matter if he is an intellectual or an ordinary man; it will probably be strange for him to participate in household and childcare matters in his personal life, or to break the tradition of monopolizing the expression of opinions and beliefs in gatherings and meetings and give others a chance to be heard. It will be strange if he does not use violence – yes, even physical violence – in his relationships, or if he demands equal economic rights in income, inheritance, etc. beyond the usual formalities.
“We need feminist men to change major policies: men who take real steps towards achieving equality and changing the harsh face of discrimination, those who speak out against unequal conditions for women in education, the lower wages of their female colleagues at work, the extended silencing of women in work meetings, their lower numbers in decision-making, their absence and late arrival at the dinner table, their censored image in the media, the endless expectations of society for them to defend traditional values, their passive role in sexual relationships, defining them as “for” and “because of” men, and everything that puts women in a lower position than men in both details and generalities. They should be sensitive and protesting, and go beyond that to take action for change. They should taste fresh flavors with their male-centric palate, add new topics with their media and political sensitivity, shine a positive light on developments, distance themselves from anything that worsens the situation for women, purify their language and literature, clean up their
To critique patriarchy, we need an internal critique; one that sees the inequalities of the system from within. How a diminished understanding of equality leads to a dominance of control and a mindset of honor and morality that restricts men in their personal and social relationships. How patriarchy creates tools for them to play a role in patriarchal interactions and by creating the illusion of giving them a superior role, it also involves them in the challenge of maintaining this unequal position.
The internal critique is that men also find equality by placing them in a more humane situation and feminism is not just a movement for women, but a movement for all humans.

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