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In every movement that advocates for righteousness, be it for environmentalism or the elimination of war and so on, there will always be a disagreement stance. The reasons for this vary from cause to cause – money, self-obsession, power struggles, among others. Most are rooted in selfishness and self-gain, but some are innate and extremely hard to change as a result of morals, chauvinism and personas formed through one’s own personal experiences and social upbringing. The motivations behind anti-feminism are a mixture of both, which is why meninism exists so prominently, and why it has been steadily garnering public support in its own niche little pocket. (And it’s not just men that it is resonating with.) The question is, why is there a resistance for a movement that just seems so reasonable and fundamentally correct?
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The instinct to eliminate competition and opposition. Anti-feminists see the movement as a direct attack towards them as individuals. Even though feminism is all about calling for equal rights, and it is not intended to “shut off” or diss men, it’s easy and natural to see it as a hate message, a form of aggression. Once this perception is established, meninists automatically go into self-defence mode; they feel the need to get rid of this “threat” and protect themselves.
The fear of being inferior. Intelligence and physical capabilities are the mark of men, while domestic undertakings and emotional awareness are the strengths of women. That is the traditional mind-set. What feminism is saying is, “We can do what men can do too. So recognise us, don’t belittle us, don’t restrict us, and give us the acknowledgement we deserve.” To anti-feminists, the meaning risks being deviated to “We’re already good at doing what we do. But we can also do what you do, and even better. We are worth more than you.” If you look at it from this angle, it does sound rather off-putting, even scary, right? Which leads us on to the next point.
Masculinity. It’s more than just a facet of personality; it’s a lifestyle, a doctrine, an ideal. Boys are raised to be masculine, and are taught that being authoritative and high-achieving equates to strength and superiority. Masculinity is a concept that encompasses the perpetual need to feel in control, to be in power, to dominate. You see where I’m getting at? Feminism practically destroys this because it is an endeavour for equality, and in turn, it destroys the self-worth of meninists (from their viewpoint).
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Turning tradition upside-down. Historically, the hierarchy between men and women existed because of biological reasons. It is a scientific fact that women develop muscles at a slower rate than men, and are genetically wired to have a more delicate external physique i.e. a slender figure, smaller frame; hence they are seen as “weaker” and not suitable for activities that require risk-taking and exertion. Women give birth to children, so they stay home away from danger to raise a family. (The notion of the woman being the homemaker and housekeeper may have, at the very beginning of time, flowered from love and a desire to protect. However, this has, of course, not been the case for a very long while.) People who are anti-feminist are typically strong believers in the conventional roles of women, and were raised and influenced to regard this as “right”. Feminism abolishes this deep-set belief, which is a way of life to extreme traditionalists.
Misunderstanding the core message of feminism. Overall, what exactly is this movement aiming to accomplish? I think this quote by Kate Nash sums it up perfectly:
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Basically, all feminists are asking for is equal rights. It’s not about bringing down one party to elevate the other, and it’s most definitely not about “hating men”. It’s a quest to free the women who are suffering just for being born as women. Yes, there are also ways in which men are subjected to double standards – this is not just limited to the fairer sex.
For instance, in situations of domestic abuse, it is not socially acceptable for the man to raise his hand to his female spouse even in self-defence, while women are praised for hitting back. Men are scoffed at when they put their weaknesses and insecurities on show, while women are seen as brave when they do the same. Yes, men too, face prejudice. But let us look at the big picture: There are women being denied education and all sorts of basic rights and respect due to gender discrimination. Our ultimate goal is liberation for women because right now, they need it more. But we have never disregarded the sexism that prevails on the other side. And there are anti-feminists who may have missed that memo.
When will people stop opposing feminism? It can only come when there is mutual understanding that the movement is NOT a competition. When there is more love and self-contentment, and less jealousy. It’s a long and hard journey for both sides – the group that is rebelling and fighting for women’s rights, and the group that sees it as a threat and can only cope by breeding persecution – and the argument will never end till the two can look beyond their fences and give the conflicting perspective as much weight as their own.
