“I do not wish them [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.”
― Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
It can be considered an undeniable truth that women continue to experience less freedom than their male counterparts. A certain section of feminists misunderstands the ideology as a simple call for women’s right to choose—choose what to wear, what career to pursue (or not), or (just) how to live their lives. While this definition seems largely harmless, it contains within itself a deeply flawed attempt at equivocation. Burdened by the (seemingly) impregnable force of patriarchy, women bear regular interdictions and domineering societal, economic, and cultural dictates which thwart their ability to choose. Women's decisions are often more constrained than they appear and are still influenced by dominant ideologies and societal expectations.
Think of the pressure women face around beauty standards—think more specific—hip-to-waist ratios. To achieve a certain figure and return salvo the effects of food (what? well-), women trot the capricious path of cosmetic procedure, particularly liposuction. Recent research reveals the biological and evolutionary significance of certain body fat in women, particularly the fat stored in the thighs and buttocks. These areas of the body store unusual lipids—long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (similar to omega-3). When the woman is expecting, these lipids are essential for the growth of the fetus’s brain and eye development. In fact, these gluteofemoral fats are so crucial for fetal development that women’s bodies are designed to store them in abundance, even though the liver cannot produce them from scratch, and our diets are typically insufficient to meet their needs. Liposuction, which removes fat from these critical areas, prevents fat from redeveloping at the site of surgery. Imagine the potential consequences of such procedures for women who later become pregnant! Notwithstanding the fact that maternal bodies are extremely resilient, and as Cat Bohannan in her extremely important book, ‘Eve’ says—evolved to be so battered, and somehow, improbably, still alive—the act of removing this vital fat compromises the body’s ability to nurture and protect life.
This issue is compounded by a significant gap in medical research. Historically, medical and scientific studies have been biased toward male bodies. The male norm in scientific studies overlooks and misunderstands how various procedures and treatments affect women, particularly in the long term. This happens because women do not constitute the test subjects. For all practical purposes, male bodies are easier to run cleaner experiments. A woman’s body undergoes a rollercoaster of changes within each menstrual cycle—however, a good scientific experiment aims to be simple (fewer variables, speedier outcomes). When the scientific fraternity views women as men with added squishier body parts, no one analyzes the data for sex differences. Modifications in procedure and dosages are based on body masses without taking into account how the female body metabolizes the same drugs which largely benefit men. When systemic forces keep you out at the cost of your health, what semblance of choice could be enticing enough?
The requirement to fit into narrow ideals of beauty reflects a commodified, capitalist agenda—another systemic oppressive trap for women. Procedures like liposuction, which beguile with the allure of a ‘perfect body’ are also choices that have hidden risks and negative health consequences. Capitalist-driven beauty industries sell products and procedures under the guise of empowering women—encouraging them to invest in themselves and their appearance. These products are marketed as scientifically-backed, often with studies to support their effectiveness. But behind these claims is an economic machine that profits off women’s insecurities. The narrative that beauty is a woman’s ultimate power is one that patriarchy, in tandem with capitalism, has carefully constructed.
It is choice in its truest sense when women understand the behemoth, the contraption whose name is patriarchy, acknowledge its effects on their choices, and yet decide to go forth with their choice. Unless that happens, the choices are not free. Even women who consider themselves free from the invisible forces are not representative of every woman’s aspirations, choices, and understanding. When ‘choice feminists’ argue that any decision a woman makes, as long as it is her own, is inherently feminist—they vitiate the essence of true feminism. By equating all choices women make with feminist ideals, it fails to recognize the complexity of the forces shaping those choices.
At its core, feminism is a call for freedom—the freedom to define oneself on one's own terms, free from the pervasive control and limitations imposed by a patriarchal society.
Patriarchy is embedded in the warp and weft of our society. It is difficult to dismantle, but it must be done. It requires more than just pushing back against individual acts of misogyny or gender-based discrimination. Like caste, patriarchy cannot be stemmed or limited, it must be destroyed limb by limb for us to live as equal and free people.
The goal of feminism is not just to give women the right to choose, but to free them from a world that has long shaped their choices for them. This is the heart of feminism—not choice alone, but the freedom to make choices that reflect one’s true self, unencumbered by the constraints of a patriarchal society. Until that freedom is achieved, feminism’s work is far from done.
Featured image credits: https://grok.com/