A lot has already been said about feminism and how it is changing the world, or at least aiming to. Whether you choose to be or not, you already are a part of this revolution. The sad part is, most people talking about it have no clue about what feminism really is. And, this is the point where we look back at what feminism is, and more importantly, what it is not before shunning it right away. It is ironical how a concept so progressive also happens to be one of the most hated words in the country– yes, feminism.

So, here are mentioned below the 5 most common (dangerous, rather) myths about feminism.

This one goes to those pseudo-feminists who disguise their own unfair, matriarchal agenda in the name of feminism as it does for those who oppose feminism because they feel threatened by it, for all the wrong reasons, of course.

1) Feminists are all women :

Ask this lovely bunch of famous gentlemen, feminism is 100% not a female exclusive movement. This is probably THE most common misconception about feminism; so often I hear ‘I wouldn’t call myself a feminist, I’m a man!’ But if you believe in equal rights for both men and women, regardless of your gender, you’re a feminist.

2) Speaking of men, don’t all feminists hate them? 

No! This seems pretty self-explanatory after that last paragraph, but just to reiterate, many men are in fact feminists. Also, many feminist women are in happy, loving relationships with men (myself included, with one of those not-so-mythical male feminists I was telling you about!). The feminist movement is not ‘anti-man’ so much as it’s anti the patriarchal society we live in, which has historically favored men. You can be a feminist and still love men as fathers, brothers, partners, sons, friends, and fellow human beings.

3) But feminists do think women are better than men, right? 

Not only do us feminists not hate men, we also don’t believe that women are better than them either. Feminism is about equality between men and women, something that is yet to exist in the world. Some people seem to think, perhaps because of the ‘fem’ prefix, that feminism seeks to bring men down from their positions of power, when in reality it’s about correcting the power imbalance and affording women the same opportunities as their male peers.

4) Feminism and equality are different things 

Feminism and equality are the same thing. Being a feminist means believing that men and women should be treated equally, regardless of gender. Sexism affects half of the entire population of the planet, so naturally the fight for gender equality includes individuals who are also victims of racism, homophobia, class-ism, and other forms of discrimination.

5) And finally, the big one: sexism is no longer an issue 

I could write a whole separate story on why feminism is still an important issue and the ways in which sexism still exists, but here’s a summary. Women still earn considerably less than their male peers. Women are underrepresented in politics, media, and business through a lack of females in high positions in these fields. Women’s rights to their own bodies are frequently being questioned. And perhaps worst of all, the statistics for domestic violence against women and girls are deeply disturbing.  

Feminism is not the hatred towards men. The point of feminism is not to discriminate against men. Feminism is not a movement to discourage men. Feminism is not a movement plotting to pull all men out of power. Feminism is not a movement to promote women superiority. Feminism is for everyone.