I am not a FEMINIST. Are you?

Before I start, here's ice-breaker for you:

    She: I am not a feminist. I raise my voice for gender equality.

    They: We don't need water. We need H2O

If you get it what I mean. 

I laughed out loud when I read this joke somewhere in Instagram.

I am one of those "Shes" who are vocal about gender equality but are scared to refer themselves as Feminist.

Why? 

   Let me explain you why.

So, there's a lot of buzz going around (since decades) about what women/female/ladies/girls/and everyone who identify themselves as feminine gender should do and shouldn't do. Same applies to everyone who identify themselves as masculine gender. 

However, there are much more restrictions to the females than the males. 

Now, according to Google Search, "Feminists are those who follow feminism" and when I searched for "Feminism" the first definition that pops up says: "Feminism. (noun) The idea that women and men should have equal legal and political rights, sexual autonomy, and self-determination" (Open Education Social Dictionary) 

Of course, I speak for equal pay, representation in groups and teams, issuing citizenship in mother's name, women's right to vote, girl's education and many more. I also stand against eve's teasing, dowry, gender based violence, stigma and taboo around social issues and 1000s of other issues that feminism stands for.

But, I am scared to call myself a feminist. Do you know why?

            Let me explain you why?

These days, feminism stands for the freedom to smoke, drink, cursing the beep beep beep words... No!!! I disregard these actions as feminism so I don't like to call myself a FEMINIST. 

   Smoking, drinking, acting like rowdies, cursing people on streets is bad- irrespective of gender. 

For me, feminism is not when girls can walk naked. For me feminism is when you're not judged when you walk naked in street; no matter what gender you identify yourself with. 

In a world of feminism, a girl shouldn't be scared to walk the streets at night. She shouldn't be restricted to kitchen, or doing the dishes and taking care of home shouldn't only be limited to females. Feminism exists when an unmarried girl in her 30s isn't considered a spinster, or when you don't raise your eyebrows when a widow or divorcee decides to remarry. When a girl is promoted, the reason for her success shouldn't be because she slept with her boss, or voice of women shouldn't be just brushed off. Feminism exists when both the sons and daughters are equally taught to love and respect everyone. 

Feminism is there when everyone is respected, their opinion is heard and if it makes sense, it's applauded- irrespective of which gender it comes from. 

I don't believe where men are required to be physically and mentally strong and women are thought they are the fragile, attractive ones. NO! That's not feminism for me. Like Priyanka Chopra once said in her interview, "Feminism isn't just about being physically strong. It is about giving equal opportunities."

If you're talking about these ideologies where you want to give equal opportunities irrespective of gender, that's feminism for me and yes, I'm a feminist.

 But if you're ideology supports infidelity, drinking, smoking, walking naked as feminism; I am sorry- "I AM NOT A FEMINIST".