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• Yaa Nyarko 11 years ago

  I have to say as a Ghanaian and as a feminist I am offended by your definition of feminism. The remarks that were made in this article are exactly why feminism is desperately needed. As a writer, you failed to do the due rese ...
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  I have to say as a Ghanaian and as a feminist I am offended by your definition of feminism. The remarks that were made in this article are exactly why feminism is desperately needed. As a writer, you failed to do the due research on what feminism really means and have relied on your own bias and opinions masquerading as fact. Feminism is indeed the notion that women are equal to men..well because women are people too.
  You see, there are certain rights that are withheld from women because of the damaging beliefs about women being emotional and certain privileges given to men because of the damaging myths of them being rational. But one gender does not hold one HUMAN trait more than the other. You have basis for this without any evidence to justify that belief. It is the social and cultural climate that allow these myths to be seen as true. Because the global society sees women as "emotional, submissive" (ie weak) and men as "rational, logical" (ie strong), it is often referred to the natural inclination of each gender to behave a certain way when in actuality there are structural frameworks set in place to perpetuate those behaviors. Patriarchy is the frame work which sees men as the smarter, rational, logical and physically stronger sex. And because of this belief, men are the guardians of women and children. This is detrimental to women because it infers that they cannot be trusted and are often denied the opportunity to be in leadership positions, denied the right for autonomy over their own bodies, and forced to play a role that is restrictive to the HUMAN range of living.
  Remember your ancestor Nana Yaa Asantwaa. How she led the Ashanti people to war against the British. Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo, the first female speaker of the parliament for Ghana. And your everyday woman, who realizes that they are people too and should be treated with the same respect and avenue as men receive. It wasn't their "masculine" mind that told them this. It is their HUMAN rights being withheld and not taken seriously.
  So please do not speak of feminism as a fashion, one who wears as with to be with the times and then takes off once a new thing arrives. It is the action of many women (and men!) realizing that EVERYONE has a part to play and should be seen as an equal.

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