Online Reporter
Alice Tagwira
Beyond the Boundaries
History has never been kind to the “unreasonable” woman.
She is the one who speaks when she should whisper, who stands when she should kneel, and who demands a seat at a table that was built specifically to exclude her.
Today, we call her a feminist. To some, the word is a battle cry; to others, it is a slur.
But as we navigate the complex social landscape of our current era, it is time to stop pretending that the rights women enjoy – from the simplicity of a bank account to the autonomy of their own bodies – fell from the sky like manna.
They were carved out of a bedrock of resistance by women who refused to be “acceptable” or “obedient”.
There is a profound irony in the woman who sits in a boardroom, signs her own mortgage, or votes in an election while simultaneously decrying feminism as “man-hating” or “unnecessary”.
To criticise feminism while enjoying its fruits is not just a lapse in logic; it is a profound act of disrespect to the ghosts of the women who paved the way.
We forget that the “good old days” were often a prison of dependency. Where were the defenders of “tradition” when women were fighting for the right to education, the right to own property, or protection against child marriage?
They were, more often than not, the ones holding the keys to the cell. Ignoring the role feminists played in moving society forward is not an opinion; it is an act of ignoring history itself.
Feminism is not a theoretical hobby for the elite or a mere “social media trend”.
It is a survival mechanism. While critics dismiss “online feminism”, they ignore the digital campfire where truths are spilled and lies are uncovered.
If a post on social media helps a victim of battery realise it isn’t her fault, or gives a young girl the audacity to believe she is not inferior to her brothers, that feminism is not just “enough”— it is transformative. We have learned and understood the nuances of equality through these digital spaces; it is where the determination to “chest” the feminist tag is often born.
One of the most common indictments against feminism is that it “hates men”.
But let us be intellectually honest: in a deeply patriarchal society, any move toward equality feels like an attack to those who hold the monopoly on privilege.
If the roles were reversed — if men were the ones silenced by domestic violence, sidelined in leadership, or forced to seek permission for a driver’s licence — their quest for equality would not be labelled “hatred”.
It would be called a revolution for human dignity.
Our fight is against inequality, and inequality exists because one party has been given more privileges than the other. How do you dismantle that without calling out the privileged party?
Feminism does not fight a gender; it fights a system. It challenges the “headship” model that demands one human being’s identity be swallowed by another’s. The discomfort men feel isn’t necessarily because they are “bad”, but because they are powerful.
Power, when concentrated in one hand for centuries, becomes a corrupting fog. Feminism is the wind that clears it. It asks a simple, radical question: Why should “human privilege” be reserved for one sex? Would oppression disappear if men did? Likely not, as the powerful always exploit the powerless — but that does not justify the current imbalance.
For women, the temptation to distance themselves from “radical” feminism is often a survival strategy rooted in the desire for male validation.
We see it in the “pick-me” culture — the desperate attempt to prove one is “not like those other feminists” in hopes of being rewarded with safety or status.
But here is the cold, hard truth: the system you defend will not protect you once you become a threat to it. A partner may support your ambition until it eclipses his own; a society may celebrate your “submission” until you have no voice left to cry for help. Seeking validation from the truth is far more rewarding than seeking it from a system designed to keep you small.
There is a persistent myth that one cannot be a feminist and a person of faith. Yet, if we look at the core of the Christian message, we find a radical inclusivity that shatters patriarchal norms.
Galatians 3:28 does not stutter: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Jesus treated women with a level of respect and equality that was radical for his time, uplifting them as essential participants in God’s plan.
To be a Christian feminist is not a contradiction; it is a restoration of the original design — one where Deborah judges, Esther leads, and Priscilla teaches.
Critics often try to silence feminists by moving the goalposts, claiming that “real” feminism is only about charity — distributing pads or feeding widows. While these acts are noble and necessary, they do not define the movement. Feminism is a political and social theory aimed at removing legal and social restrictions. You do not need a large bank account to be a feminist; you need a conscience.
To suggest that a woman’s voice is invalid because she cannot afford to be a philanthropist is a tactic of elitist silencing. A woman who speaks up against harassment is doing as much for the movement as a woman who funds a shelter.
At the end of the day, you cannot sit on the fence of human rights. If you enjoy the freedom to choose your life’s path, you are enjoying a feminist victory. If you reject the idea of being “less than” because of your biology, you are a feminist, whether you claim the title or not.
The choice is between patriarchy – a system where one’s worth is determined by their ability to dominate or submit – and feminism – a system where two people work as equals, respecting each other’s strengths without the need for a “head” and a “foot.”
Feminism will continue to be loud. It will continue to be “unpalatable.” It will continue to make people angry. And it must. Because until the day comes when a girl’s safety is a right rather than a lucky break, and her dreams are limited only by her imagination rather than her gender, we have a long way to go. It is not about hating men; it is about loving justice.
Your freedom was bought with the “unreasonable” behaviour of women who refused to stay silent. Don’t disrespect their sacrifice by pretending you did it all on your own. Stay woke, stay vigilant, and build your village with women — they remain your best support system.
