AS we celebrate Women’s Month, it is important that we pause to recognise the strength, resilience and achievements of women in our communities.
Across Zimbabwe and the world, women continue to make remarkable contributions in families, workplaces and leadership spaces.
Women’s Month is, therefore, a time of celebration, reflection and renewed commitment to gender equality.
At the heart of these conversations lies feminism. Feminism, in its simplest and most widely accepted definition, is the belief in the social, economic and political equality of the sexes.
Scholars such as bell hooks have long emphasised that feminism is not about female dominance over men, but about ending sexism, exploitation and oppression.
However, in modern discourse, feminism is often misunderstood. Some people mistake it for women’s resistance to men or a justification for hostility towards men.
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In reality, feminism was never meant to be a battleground between genders. It was meant to create balance and fairness.
Unfortunately, there are moments when the message becomes distorted.
Recently, a woman went viral on social media after beating up a man, and many online commentators celebrated her actions.
The comments section was filled with applause, laughter and approval.
Yet, one cannot help but wonder how different the reaction would have been if the roles were reversed and the perpetrator had been a man.
If a man assaults a woman, society rightfully condemns him as a perpetrator of violence.
But when a woman commits the same act, some people suddenly frame her as a heroine.
This double standard undermines the very principles feminism seeks to promote.
Violence is violence, regardless of who commits it.
Research on gender-based violence consistently shows that the issue is complex and affects both genders, although women remain disproportionately affected.
Studies by organisations such as UN Women emphasise that gender-based violence refers to harmful acts directed at individuals based on gender and addressing it requires fairness, accountability and justice for everyone.
Gender-based violence should never be romanticised or trivialised, whether the victim is a woman or a man.
During my own inquiry into this topic, I interviewed a woman whose name I will withhold. She openly said:
“I am Chihera and if my husband misbehaves, I beat him.”
She is widely known in her community for being physically violent towards her husband.
Instead of receiving concern or criticism, the situation has turned into a source of amusement for many people around them. Her husband has become a laughing stock, mocked and ridiculed because society views him as a coward for not retaliating.
This reaction reveals a troubling cultural narrative: that male victims of abuse are weak and, therefore, unworthy of sympathy.
Yet abuse, whether emotional or physical, destroys dignity and wellbeing regardless of gender.
Ironically, I consider myself a hard-core feminist. I strongly believe in the protection, empowerment and advancement of women.
But it is precisely because I believe in feminism that I am concerned about how the cause is sometimes misinterpreted and misused.
When feminism becomes a tool for convenience, used only when it benefits an individual while ignoring accountability, it damages the credibility of the movement and upsets the social balance it seeks to create.
Another recent incident illustrates how distorted narratives can become. An explicit video involving a 32-year-old South African teacher and a 14-year-old boy circulated widely online.
Shockingly, some online commentators suggested that the boy must have been “experienced,” while others even portrayed the woman as the victim.
One must ask: how differently would the situation have been perceived if the 14-year-old had been a girl?
Research in the field of gender studies highlights a persistent societal bias where female perpetrators of sexual misconduct are often treated more leniently than male perpetrators.
Studies published by the American Psychological Association have discussed how cultural stereotypes frequently prevent people from recognising that boys can also be victims of sexual abuse.
One is a child, regardless of gender. Exploitation cannot be justified or trivialised.
True feminism demands consistency. It demands that we condemn injustice wherever it occurs and protect those who are vulnerable. It calls for dignity, respect and accountability for both women and men.
Feminism requires harmony, not hostility. It is not a weapon to be used selectively nor a shield to excuse wrongdoing. Instead, it is a movement rooted in justice and equality.
As we celebrate Women’s Month, we must continue to champion women’s rights while also ensuring that the values of fairness and integrity remain at the heart of the movement.
Women must be protected, empowered and uplifted, but we must also be careful to uphold the principles of feminism
responsibly.
Only then can the movement maintain its credibility and continue advancing the noble cause for which it was originally created: true equality.