BY MAGRETH RUZVIDZO- Feminism has many definitions to it, but in this article I define it as a belief in social, economic and political equality of all sexes. It is basically gender equality in all spheres of life between men and women.
Feminism largely originated from the West but it is now actually recognised worldwide and practised in various institutions which are willing to fight against women’s rights and gender equality.
From ancient history, women have been discriminated in the public arena, they were confined to domestic spheres where they would focus on house chores, taking care of their families and child bearing among others. Women were not allowed to vote, hold influential positions at church or in the political arena. Above all, most had little or no access to education and this hindered them from holding influential positions in life. This led to the rise of feminism which took place in waves up to date.
The first wave took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Basically, this was a campaign aimed at allowing women to vote. This succeeded in some countries, but in some it is still a challenge even up to date. The second wave took place in the 1960s and 1970s and this involved a number of rights. These include right to equal earnings, among others. Again, most countries are still fighting against this form of discrimination.
The third wave started in the 1990s up to date. It encompasses issues like racism, tribalism and sexual identity. It incorporates every women and acknowledges their challenges in society. This is what is being fought for by feminists today.
Taking it closer to home, recently we have seen women like Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, Linda Masarira among others, fighting for women rights in cabinet, on social media and other public platforms. They show that feminism is not about showing another gender that we can do better than them but it is about levelling the ground so that both sexes have equal opportunities in life.
However, some from the religious arena dispute this conceptand link it to creation where men and women were created differently to serve different purposes in life. This makes it difficult for all people to agree in this ideology and it makes it difficult to reach a consensus on gender equality.
Although various stakeholders keep on fighting about human rights and gender equality, there is still inequality at work places as some jobs are still regarded as men’s or women’s jobs. It’s very rare these days to find a male receptionist at a company. Some scholars have come up with various theories associated with feminism but well, it’s a discussion for another day!