Feminism is not toxic : Inequality is.

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People often say feminism is toxic. That it is about women wanting to rise above men, to overpower them, to dismiss their struggles. This belief is so widespread that almost everyone seems convinced they know what feminism stands for , without ever stopping to ask if they are right. Feminism is not about superiority. It never was. It is about equality. It is about bringing women to the same level of respect, safety, opportunity, and dignity that men have historically been granted without question.

The problem is not feminism itself, but the way it has been misunderstood. Some people misuse the word, hide personal agendas behind it, and call double standards “empowerment.” That distortion has cost feminism its credibility in the eyes of many. A true feminist does not hate men. Feminism does not aim to silence men or belittle them ,it challenges systems that harm both genders. It questions norms that tell men to suppress emotions and women to suppress ambition. At its core, feminism seeks balance, not dominance.

A common argument against feminism today is that it is no longer relevant. Women can vote. Women can work. Women can speak up. On paper, equality seems to exist.

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But equality does not end at legal rights ,it begins with lived reality.

Behind the curtains of this so-called progress lies a different truth: catcalling dismissed as harmless, sexual assaults followed by victim-blaming, rapes that go unreported, and murders that are forgotten as statistics. Female feticide may not be as visible as before, but it still exists in shadows. Forced and toxic marriages are justified as tradition. The dowry system survives in “gifts.” Equal work still comes with unequal pay.

Women are policed constantly ,by society, families, and even laws. Their clothes are questioned. Their choices are monitored. Their bodies are controlled. They carry the burden of unpaid labor at home while being expected to prove their worth outside it. And when violence happens, the question is rarely why did he do it? but what was she wearing? Why was she there? Instead of teaching men accountability, society teaches women caution ,as if safety is their sole responsibility.

These are not isolated incidents. They are patterns : quiet, normalized, and conveniently ignored. Feminism exists to speak about what people prefer to hide. It exists to challenge the idea that survival equals equality. Because if women were truly equal, safety would not be a privilege. Respect would not be conditional. Freedom would not come with fear.

So no ,feminism is not unnecessary. It is not outdated. And it is certainly not toxic. Feminism is still needed because equality has not yet moved beyond words into reality.

Until a woman can exist without justification, ambition without backlash, and safety without compromise, feminism remains not just relevant ,but essential.