Feminism is a pretty loaded buzzword – just saying it in a room full of people can get them riled up. And there’s often no middle ground – it seems as though one can be completely for it or completely against it. And those who are against it have a lot to say. Since we are tired of telling people why they should be feminists, we thought it better to convince them why they shouldn’t be feminists.

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So, here are 7 reasons why you should not be a feminist.

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Feminists are absolute man-haters

By fighting for their right to education, equal opportunities, equal pay, and the freedom to live unapologetically, feminists are trying way too hard to one-up men. Since when has there been a need to carve one’s own identity and become independent? Even though data tells us that women have every reason to hate – the 2022 NFHS-5 report showed that nearly 1/3rd of women in India have faced physical or sexual violence – but that’s besides the point.

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Feminists force you to talk about your feelings

Feminists harp on about how women are labelled ‘emotional’ and ‘sensitive’ for sharing their thoughts and feelings, and how men need to be encouraged to do the same. Why force someone to share their feelings, even though 72.5% of Indians who died by suicide in 2021 were men? It’s so militant.

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Feminists have no sense of humour

Feminists are constantly calling out people for their ‘sexist’ jokes, but in reality, they just lack humour. It’s not as if successful actor, writer, and producer Mindy Kaling wrote several episodes of The Office, one of the most popular sitcoms in TV history. Or that comedian Hannah Gadsby’s stand-up special Nanette won the prestigious Peabody award in 2019.

After all, who wouldn’t find the ‘girl, make me a sandwich’ jokes funny? 

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Feminists are against family values

Feminists are a threat to the Indian family system. By educating themselves (and surpassing men in the process), getting good jobs, taking their pleasure into their own hands, and not settling for less, they are forcing men with raja beta syndrome to be better.

It’s not as if young women in India have the highest suicide rates in the world, or that roughly 35% of women aged 15 to 49 have faced intimate partner violence. How dare they fight that?

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Feminists want to go out and create a ruckus

Imagine the kind of special treatment they want – so many working women get cab facilities if they work late at night, so that they don’t become a part of the statistics of women being killed for being out alone at night. They seem to want access to all sorts of public spaces – parks, public transport, and more, without any repercussions.

So what if men get to sit outside their chai stalls and spend their time reading, smoking, and chatting? Women don’t need that anyway.

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Feminists have a problem with free time

Imagine going against your own gender! Women are quietly quitting their jobs – with less than 20% holding jobs in the formal workforce – and feminists don’t want that. 

These innocent women just want to rest and not fight against the rampant sexism in the workplace, or their patriarchal families’ take on working women, which leaves them terribly vulnerable in case they want to get out of their marriage. But feminists won’t let them be. They will fight for their right to be compensated fairly, to have childcare facilities and flexible working hours from companies so that more women can feel comfortable at work. The audacity.

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Feminists don’t want you to care about your body

Feminists want women to get overly comfortable in their skin. They want to put razor companies, beauty salons, and fitness centres out of business by encouraging women to eat, stop shaving and waxing, and live their lives without counting calories and checking the weighing scale. What about all the men who run these industries and profit off women’s insecurities? What about their jobs? Feminists are entirely selfish.

So, are you ready to give up on feminism?

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