Thread by @AhmedWJanjua

Feminism,the belief in social, economic & political equality of the sexes. Although largely originating in the West,feminism is manifested worldwide & is adopted,by the institutions committed to activity on behalf of women’s rights.

Thread *Feminism* & Manipulation.

Why Social Media Activism (Twitter Feminism) is key to the fourth wave of feminism?

The accessibility, immediacy, reach of a wider audience and low costs have encouraged women to use social media to speak out against various gender-related issues.

When women started sharing their stories online, they were heard or read instantly by the online community. The interconnectedness enabled people to immediately spot patterns of sexual misconduct & violence all around the world, that cut across racial, ethnic & national divides.

This access to instant communication was not enjoyed by earlier generations who relied on word of mouth/media coverage, which meant that a lot of issues were rarely addressed.
If you're on TV news, you will discuss sexual violence, not everyday sexism. The Internet changed that.

What started with reporting sexual violence led to women utilizing the internet & social media platforms to draw attention to everyday sexism still experienced by us in, at home, at the workplace, on the road, absolutely anywhere.

Everyday sexism is something women ignore cos they have to.

But when shared online they form essential parts of larger conversations. They serve as evidence that what they face is not individual, but collective, that there are power structures in place that need to be addressed.

It is exactly what was revealed by the #MeToo movement in terms of sexual violence.

The internet helped foster a ‘call-out’ culture allowing sexual predators to be ‘called out’ & exposed.

The hashtag originally created a space for victims to share their experiences.

The unanimity that the hashtag movement saw globally revealed the ubiquity and pervasiveness of the sexual misconduct of men.

It revealed that sexual violence against women is not just personal, but structural. It is not just one incident but rather a well-oiled system.

Apart from enabling conversations that women across sections can identify with, online activism can be seen as a way to subvert patriarchal structures in a space where the body is not immediately seen & one’s voice can be heard. That's a big problem women face - not being heard.

But is the internet really a safe space?
A 2018 study by Mendes, K., Ringrose, J. & Keller, J. of Women’s Studies examined it specifically for Twitter.
The endeavour and pitfalls of challenging rape culture through digital feminist activism.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.117…

They explored the emotional toll and the unpaid labour of online campaigns like #MeToo  & #BeenRapedNeverReported.

The findings revealed that 72% of the respondents have experienced trolling, online abuse or hostility after sharing their experiences online.

They conclude: Aside from celebrated statements of defiance valorised by the media with cases such as #MeToo , more hidden are emotional, mental or practical factors which make engaging in digital feminist activism risky, exhausting, draining & overwhelming, depending on context.

Twitter however is still considered as a safer & easier space for engaging in feminist activities.

Think about this: 72% experienced trolling and online abuse and women still view it as a safe space?

How unsafe do women feel in real life that 72% is a good deal?

Can men even imagine that amount of fear or desperation ever? I think not. Shaming feminists on Twitter is easy.

But women are just taking advantage of technology to talk about our issues & seek change. How is it different from political activism?

However There's Feminism & Toxic Feminism, people should learn to differentiate the two.

Feminism definitions in the dictionary:

1.The advocacy of women's rights based on the equality of the sexes
2.The theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes

3.The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.
4.The doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men.

The brave 1st Wave Feminists of the 19th & 20th century, both men & women took a courageous stance against injustices towards women by aggressively advocating for much needed equal rights.

This was a clear demonstration that most men had women’s best interests at heart & most women had men’s best interests at heart. 1st wave feminists, consisting of both men & women ensured that gender inequality slowly attenuated over time and gradually became a thing of the past.

The ideals of the First Wave Feminists spread to other parts of the world except the Middle East and North Africa as women were able to vote, work or study. Women were now afforded the exact same opportunities as men.

Unfortunately, a group of angry, entitled and frustrated women came together and decided to recycle the ever so inspiring word ‘feminist’. Because equality had already been achieved, they resorted to destructive agendas such as belittling men, perpetuating confirmed myths.

Telling women they don’t need men (which is extremely divisive as we do need each other), and labeling anyone who doesn’t agree with them as either a sell out or a “Misogynist” and this was the birth of TOXIC FEMINISM.

Toxic Feminism frames men as arrogant & insensitive, oppressive, and brutal. The systematic vilification and demonization of males is part of the toxic feminist strategy of raising women by lowering men, by convincing people that women are good and men are bad.

In the world of a Toxic Feminism, all males, whatever their individual qualities, are reduced to a common set of evil characteristics, while all females, whatever their individual qualities, are celebrated as sensitive, smart, and strong.

Toxic Feminism classifies all men into three categories: rapists, sexual harassers, and potential rapists and harassers thus this blanket classification is quite sad because it does not look at individual qualities of men.

Now, forget about the Toxic Feminists for a moment. For the visionary Feminists, they understand that men and women should have equal rights.

That feminism is about striving for equal treatment regardless of gender in all forums.

That feminism is equal recognition for equal effort without the existence of assumptions about what men and woman can or can’t do, or feel, because they are either man or woman and comes hand-in-hand with equal responsibilities too.

That feminism means to be indiscriminate to gender–ie. both women and men have equal respect, opportunities and most importantly, choices.

However, there’s something about patriarchy which is embedded in our society at its most basic level and is self‑reinforcing.

Modern historians and sociologists describe a "patriarchal society," as one where men hold the positions of power and have more privilege,head of the family unit, leaders of social groups, boss in the workplace, and heads of government.

But in the modern society (exclude Middle East & North Africa), is it only men who hold positions of power and have more privilege? Is it only men who are heads of the family units? Is it only mean who are leaders of social groups, or bosses in the workplace, or heads of states?

I’m asking these questions because TOXIC FEMINISTS hide behind patriarchy to vilify men therefore kills the purpose of the original concept.

Feminism isn’t just for women, it necessarily requires men and women to come to the table and challenge the ways we actively and passively support the oppression of both sexes.