Fake Feminism & Feminist: An Answer to Deepika Padukone’s Video, ‘My Choice.’

Dear Deepika Padukone, ‘Feminism’ means when a woman wants to be a strong individual with equal freedom, rights and opportunity like man but not its misuse in any way. How can an actress label herself to be a feminist when they project woman as a commodity and object on silver screen. These are the movies where these so-called feminists display the commodification of women by all means. If this is feminism then Sunny Leone must be the champion of all the feminists. Hope she will not come out with a feminist video like this claiming herself to be a real feminist. Fake feminism indeed!!! It has nothing to do with the real emancipation of women which is under-going around the world.

         In eighteenth century it was believed that women were incapable of rational thinking; Wollstonecraft put forward the point that women too had the ability to think rationally and deserved proper education. Women’s education was also important because they were responsible for the education of the young. There are many great examples of women who struggled for uplifting the status of women and still we find many feminist working around the world for raising the status of women.

        These so called fake feminists are misinterpreting ‘feminism’ for their own vested interest. Feminism means emancipation of women; the right that woman should have, freedom to acquire education, to choose her career rather she should not be forced into marriage against her own wish or she should not asked to work as a slave in her own house or in her in-laws’ place. It does not mean infidelity or adultery. It means, I as a ‘woman’ am not superior or inferior to any male counterpart. Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards have defined that, “In reality Feminism wants you to be who you are—but with a political consciousness. And vice versa: you want to be feminist because you want to be exactly who you are.”

         Feminism does not include self-degradation or the exploitation of women by others. Immoral exposition is not a part and concept of feminism. The choice of both man and woman should be constructive for the welfare of society and not misleading to any wrong direction. It does not mean degradation of moral values. It means liberty and freedom but not misusing of it for any ill-wish. It means I as a ‘woman’ have equal rights with men but I will not take any extra advantage of it. It means my family should be proud of me wherever I go whatever I do.

       Now-a-days many so called feminists are misinterpreting ‘feminism’ for commercial & monetary gains. Don’t they know that many women since centuries around the world have fought for their individuality and not for the sake of commercial popularity? There was a time when women were confined to the four walls of the houses and were denied to any education and career. Further they were forced into marriage against their own wish but now this scenario has changed and the credit goes to many strong women in every field, even to those men who have supported the cause of women emancipation around the world. Still in many parts of the world, women are struggling to survive, to raise their voice against injustice and tyranny inflicted on them. Let the feminism not be defamed by this kind of misinterpretation unacceptable by any true feminist. 

So dear Deepika Padukone, women want equal rights/opportunities, good health career/education, not what you are showing. My advice to all the females, ‘don’t fall for fake feminism, choose your role model carefully. We have many strong women individuals to follow but not these fake feminists.