The offensive F word.

It seems that when you mention the topic of Feminism, it makes people uncomfortable and you are instantly judged. Feminism is misunderstood. Feminism is not about hating men or meant to demean men and elevate the role of women. Feminism is about equality. It is about equality for not just women but for the entire society. When you encourage women to be educated they add value to the family system and eventually to the society as a whole. Feminism has been around for many years and the writings in feminist theory date back to the 18th century. The movement did not start in the 1960s with bra burnings and goes beyond such behaviors. The 1960s , with the civil rights movement, is when we saw women perhaps be more vocal and as any group seeking emancipation some behaviors may appear controversial or extreme because that is necessary in order to create change. Feminism is diverse and there are several theories. No two feminist are truly the same but the common thread is equality and again, this equality is for all. It's for society. We are currently still fighting for ERA amendment. I remember being in Junior High and hearing the debates. It does take time for change to occur. Currently, we see some changes and men benefit too. In my psychotherapy practice I have seen changes that benefit men that society would never have tolerated in the past, for example, 50/50 time sharing. It is common now for divorced fathers to have the ability to live with their kids more time than the traditional every other weekend. As we emancipate women, we see men benefit as well. In two income families where both parties work outside the home and assuming they live within their means, if one partner looses their job, the other income is there and there is less stress on men who were at one point the sole bread winner for the family. It saddens me that more women don't understand and at times fight feminism. I can understand that men may initially do so, since you really can not expect a man to understand what it is like to live as a woman. If you go on social media and look at the different sites it can be frightening to someone who believes in equality. There are sites where women express why they "don't need feminism" not understanding what feminism truly means to them, to their families and to society. As a feminist, I do get the weird looks and the questions. But as a Feminist and a therapist I also work with men. I help men cope with loss, and rebuild their lives, just like I do with women. Being a feminist therapist does not mean that I side with the women. No, I explore the dynamic of the relationship and make sure that the dynamic is functional and healthy. Again, Feminists are not men haters, we are just people that want to work on equality. Now, if you happen to meet a woman who hates men, that is just a woman who hates men, not necessarily a feminist, or perhaps a feminist that happens to hate men. Feminism is about building a better society for all.