Let’s get one thing clear – feminism is not about hating men.

The fight for feminism was rooted as the fight for rights of women. Didn’t have the right to vote? Feminists fought that out. Women getting victim-blamed? They got that covered too. Feminism, which started as an equal rights movement to fight for the basic right for women, have risen in the last few decades. Under its umbrella term, it now not only incorporates equal right for women but also considers the inconsistency of rights implemented on people who are not men.

Here is a list of terms related to feminism that we need to know.

Let’s start with the basics:

1. Patriarchy – The system in which men hold the power and control i.e- our society.
2. Sexism – A prejudice and discrimination based on some’s sex, especially women/transwomen.
3. Misogyny – It is a prejudice that hatred, prejudice, contempt of, against women. It enforces sexism.
4. Misandry – Prejudice, hatred, contempt against men.

Going further:

1. Benevolent sexism – Doesn’t look or sound like sexism but it is. Benevolent sexism seems like a compliment, but it is more rooted in the superiority complex. Like telling a colleague “Wow, these cookies you made are amazing. You should do this for a living (*insert laugh*)”
2. Internalised sexism – Kinda difficult to figure out and can be seen in men and women. It is an internalised belief of women’s inferiority that controls how our perception.
3. Hostile sexism – Openly threatening, insulting or saying that women are inferior to men. This comes in many shapes, sizes and words.
4. Male gaze – Looking at the world through the eyes of a man, mostly when women are seen as sexual objects.
5. Cisgender – used to describe a person who is aligned with the same gender given to them at birth.
6. Transgender – Used to describe a person who does not align with the same gender given to them at birth.
7. TERF – Stands for Trans exclusionary radical feminists.
8. SWERF- Stands for Sex worker exclusionary radical feminists.
9. Privilege – The idea that some people have more advantage in society in respect to their class, gender, sex etc.

You will find these on the internet:

1. Mansplaining – When a man explains something to a woman in a condescending way when he doesn’t know much about it himself.
2. Woke – Rooted in black feminist rights. Woke means to be aware and educated of the inconsistency and inequality in society.
3. Feminazi – Used for radical feminists. Meant as a hardcore feminist who calls out people for their sexism.