Feminism was initially started with the primary goal of achieving equality between men and women and eliminating gender-based discrimination.
However, some argue that feminism has deviated from its original purpose and has become a tool for putting men down and elevating women, rather than just granting women the same rights, power, and opportunities as men.
In an interview with John Anderson, Australian writer and commentator Bettina Arndt revealed why she had decided to stop identifying as a feminist, despite having been an ardent advocate of the movement in the past.
“I was a feminist when feminism was about equality,” she stated, “about leveling the playing field, giving women an opportunity to find their rightful place, particularly in the public world.”
The former self-proclaimed feminist argued that while feminism was an “important and exciting” movement in the past, its current focus is on promoting women at the cost of men, rather than striving for equality between the two genders.
She further noted in the interview that contemporary feminism has become overly focused on demonizing men and presenting them as always being at a disadvantage.
“I don't have any part of that,” she clarified.
Bettina Arndt recounted her recent experience of writing about boys' education – a subject she has covered for many years – and came across an article from 40 years ago about the gender gap in academic performance.
She acknowledged that there have been ten years of programs aimed at helping girls perform better in school, explaining that many girls who were previously held back by gender stereotypes that they were not as capable in certain areas were now starting to excel, which was a great development.
However, Bettina Arndt voiced her concern about the increased number of boys who were also falling behind and not reaching their full potential.
She argued that feminist ideology had infiltrated our education systems to a great extent. There were systematic programs in place to continue to promote girls' advancement, but no one seemed to be paying attention to the fact that a significant number of boys were also struggling to keep up.
@johnandersonac Why Bettina Arndt has rejected modern feminism #mentoo #feminism #equality ♬ original sound - John Anderson AC
Viewers took to the comment section to voice their opinions about Arndt's perspectives on today’s feminism.
Many people were thankful that a woman spoke these words and could maintain an unbiased perspective on women's matters, with one writing, “thanks to this woman for staying objective and supportive.”
“That last part is so true,” another agreed, “when I was in school girls would get away with nearly everything where as boys would get in trouble over the smallest thing.”
Someone pointed out that she used the term "males" to refer to men, but nobody got offended, to whom another replied: “because she is respectful, and some other people calling us males are not :/ it’s all about context.”
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Sylvia Silverstone is a passionate writer who loves to share her knowledge and expertise on a wide range of topics, including beauty, life hacks, entertainment, health, news, and money. With a keen eye for detail and a talent for storytelling, Sylvia's engaging writing style keeps readers coming back for more.
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