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Professor Dzodzi Tsikata, director of the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana, challenged the idea that feminists are anti-men, bitter, aggressive and against culture, Christianity, Islam and l natural order.
She said the belief that feminist ideas were imposed from the outside and could derail other positive struggles was wrong.
She expressed her position on Wednesday during a virtual intergenerational dialogue, organized by the Documentation Center on Gender Studies and Human Rights and Masimanyane Women’s Rights International, on the theme: “Dismantling the myths around feminism” in the context of of their project “Eliminating Gender-Based Violence in Ghana. ”.
Professor Tsikata said feminists are not only fighting for their well-being, but for the betterment of society as a whole, said the only way to reduce bad thoughts about feminism and its goals is to encourage more young women to participate openly in the good cause.
Ms Lilly Oseyda Mensah, a young feminist from Action Aid, said that feminism is all about defending human rights, economic freedom and political equality, among others.
Reiterating misconceptions about feminism, she said, “People think feminists are a bunch of wealthy women who don’t want to get married but prefer to have a child and live alone because they don’t want to be submissive. But this is a false perception because it is their personal worth and not feminism.
“People think feminism is about people whose marriages have failed because they are too boisterous and challenge their men, but that’s a misconception.”
Ms Mensah said that feminism is about identifying that there are disparities and helping to bridge the gap, adding: “If we recognize that women’s rights are human rights, then it is important to protect them.
Feminism has taught people to be shy and courageous to talk about the things that bother them in society, from their family to society, she said.
“For me, if you’re a feminist and you see a man being abused or mistreated by his supervisor at work, she should be able to stand up and speak out against it the same way she would speak for a wife.”
For her part, Ms Hamida Harrison, Coordinator of the Women’s Manifesto Coalition, ABANTU for Development, said that feminism is about respecting diversity and recognizing that women’s experiences, knowledge, identities and strengths matter in efforts. national.
She said there were people who took to themselves the beliefs of feminism and their actions but could not associate with them because of the myths surrounding it.
“There is a misconception that all feminists hate men and think men are the cause of all the problems in the world. But it is far from it. Numerous studies have shown that the negative stigma associated with feminism influences many people who refuse to be identified as feminists and that religion and culture have been the biggest culprits in the repression of women, ”she added. .
Madam Magdalene Agyeman Badu, a young feminist from the University of Ghana, recommended that a larger group of feminist movements be created, including the younger generations, to fight against infringements of the rights of others.
“People need to help others dispel misconceptions about feminism so that they have a clear mind to join the fight. Demanding respect and equality and not settling for less, that’s feminism, ”she added.
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