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I don’t think it is possible to actually know the “real” meaning of feminism. People perceive feminism in different ways, and there is no way of actually knowing what constitutes as “real”. In my opinion, feminism stands for dismantling of patriarchy and the fight for liberation of women. While a lot of people these days equate feminism with gender equality, I don’t think they realise that there is no point of equality as long as there is patriarchy in our society. What will we achieve from getting “equal” rights as men when they themselves are the victims of patriarchy? Granted they are not as much affected by the patriarchy as much as women are, but they definitely aren’t free from the shackles of patriarchy.
The only way to achieve a society where everyone is treated with equality is when we fully dismantle the patriarchy from its roots. And when we say feminism is about everyone, I don’t think it is and nor does it need to be! Feminism is about women getting the rights that they were never given. Men will automatically get to live in a society free of judgement, once the first goal of feminism is achieved i.e. once the patriarchy is dismantled. But women? Women’s unequal treatment does not just consist of them not being allowed to cry or being judged for taking a profession that is traditionally male dominated. Women’s unequal treatment is in them not even being given the status of a human being, it consists of them fearing getting raped every time they step out of their house and sometimes getting raped in their own house.
We cannot stop such treatment of women just by dismantling patriarchy, people need to understand that women are not objects! Women are either raised too high on a pedestal or they are treated like animals. People need to understand that women are not “goddesses” that dignify their household status and nor are they “toys” to play with. Women are human beings, and should be treated as such!