Feminism was born in the 18th century as a sign of protest against the exclusion of women from citizenship. By that time, the founding ideas of a new social and political tide had been born, based on the respect for individual rights. The focus and the spirit of the issue was to fight against the conception of a servile woman, as a slave of man´s luxury, and solely seen as an instrument of reproduction with no individual autonomy.
It was a liberating trend, in which woman was framed as an autonomous person with the right to decide upon her life, tearing apart the status quo of biological determinism and unavoidable domestic status.
Nowadays, I am sad to say that the various major feminist movements of the world no longer represent the genesis and the virtuous conception of feminism. Previous feminists from its founding days would not recognise these modern movements. Modern movements are no longer fighting for the rights or the real and natural desires of the modern woman.
If these were still genuinely the priority, we would see activist demonstrations in the streets over real feminist causes. Protests against countries where women can still be stoned to death for adultery, for wearing inappropriate or unseemly garments and places where women are victims of “legitimate” domestic violence without any legal protection.
Otherwise from the original pattern, these movements have turned themselves into dishonest movements intellectually, and deeply tendentious. If they really defended equality, the contemporary feminist movements would also call on women to participate in rough tasks that require physical effort above the normal standards, which is a peculiarity of traditional male jobs.
Instead, they should focus on the real women´s needs and desires and not dictate a “tailor made” agenda evoking an arrogant and ideologic modernity, mixing up concepts like antiracism, antifascism or even waging a war against capitalism. They should fight for a legal framework to allow an easier articulation between family and work, as a way of protecting the family and promoting maternity.
The main goal of the modern feminist movements is to take the best part of being a man, forgetting the woman´s individual and peculiar features, to be respected and admired. This is the current mischievous and viral feminism, a kind of global “male” idea that simply is wearing a skirt. Now, feminists seem to want to diminish men and place them below women, moving away from the original idea of feminism, which simply aimed releasing women from male oppression.
It is noble to foster equal opportunities, but it is wrong to try to equalise what is naturally different! This insistence will destroy the sublime endowment that many women altruistically provide to their families and to society, which makes them such respectable and admired creatures.