Equality - A Dirty Word for Russians?
Sometimes it seems the term "equality" is a dirty word for Russians. I can say for instance that many people crawl into the comments of certain stories and accuse me of being a "feminist," simply because I haven't followed a traditional path in life. I don't subscribe to the formula that marriage + babies = happiness for women, although this is certainly true for many females. There are many factors to the equation, each individual is a unique being, and there will be different calculations throughout one's lifetime to reach the magical sum of "happiness." This appears to be a radical concept for a lot of Russians, who are programmed to see things only in black or white. I was reminded of this fact when someone recently described the content of my blog as being filled with "feminist bullshit." It's a strange comment and characterization of my blog, most likely written by a miserable, bitter person who is simply jealous that I have a lot of freedom, experiences and adventures in life. Envy is a very dangerous poison!
The saddest tunes in life are sung by those who march to the beat of another drummer, rather than their own, simply out of societal pressure. I don't define myself as a feminist, but if you look in almost any dictionary, the word feminism will be described along the following lines - "the doctrine of advocating social, political, and all other rights of women EQUAL to those of men." Of course, there can never be true "equality" in any society or between genders. There will always be the wealthy and poor, and men are almost always physically stronger and more powerful than women. This is part of their charm, and most women (even me!) crave masculinity to a certain extent, the sense of being protected and surrounded by a strong, supportive man.
However, it seems the term "feminism" has been twisted over the decades to mean something evil or outrageous, when in fact the core objective is good in my view. I doubt that many fathers would be pleased if their daughter studied hard, got a good job, and earned much less than her male colleagues, when in fact they share the exact same qualifications and professional skills. Over the years, feminists have aimed to balance inequalities like this. The term is thrown around too loosely, associated with militants, man-haters, unshaven armpits :) and the dreaded fear that men are emasculated when women are on the same playing field. Sorry, but I think only weak men are intimidated by powerful, independent women, wishing to box them in or mold them into subservient creatures with no individuality, ambitions or hobbies outside of adoring and caring for a man and child. These are extremely important tasks in life, deserving of the utmost respect and women who dedicate themselves to being "stay at home" moms are worthy of adoration. To me, it's the hardest job on the planet.
What do you think? How do you perceive "feminism", and what is wrong with women earning the same as men, or females being given the same opportunities to be whoever or whatever they wish? I don't want to sit in the shade, hidden under some umbrella or walking in the shadow of another person. I want to be the one to walk in the sun, with my partner gladly holding my hand, each of us supporting the other through all of life's obstacles, sorrows and elations...and, yes, I'll still cook, occasionally wear a sexy dress and torture my feet in high heels along the way. :)) Is this such a radical concept?
