‘Female’, ‘feminine’, and ‘feminist’ are terms we often use in daily conversations. However, they are frequently misinterpreted, applied inappropriately, and are assumed to convey certain undesirable and negative connotations. While on our path to ensure that we are unambiguous about all things relating to gender, let us delve deeper into the meanings and correct usage of these three terms.
Understanding the Meaning of ‘Female’
Although most ordinary language users appear to treat the two terms- female and woman– interchangeably, we must understand that historically the two have been understood differently; ‘woman’ as a gender term, and ‘female’ as a sex term, leading to the distinguishing of sex (being female or male) and gender (being a woman or a man).
Graphic Credits: Apoorva Jyoti, Graphics Intern at Mandonna
As we understand it now, sex refers to the biological differences between females and males defined in terms of the anatomy and physiology of the body and gender to the social meanings and values attached to being female or male in any given society. As the ‘sex’ of a person denotes human females and males depending on biological features (chromosomes, sex organs, hormones, and other physical features), the term female refers to a person whose biological features are that of a female, though the way they choose to present themselves might vary and does not necessarily depend on their sex; which leads us to the next topic of deliberation- understanding the term feminine.
Simone de Beauvoir famously claimed that one is not born, but rather becomes a woman, and that “social discrimination produces in women moral and intellectual effects so profound that they appear to be caused by nature” (Beauvoir 1972 [original 1949], 18).
Deciphering ‘Femininity’
Nancy Chodorow, who has criticised social learning theory as too simplistic to explain gender differences, holds that gender is a matter of having feminine and masculine personalities that develop in early infancy as responses to prevalent parenting practices. Gendered personalities are supposedly manifested in common gender stereotypical behaviour.
The term feminine refers to stereotypical roles, features and characteristics associated with being a woman; marked by or having qualities, features, etc. traditionally associated with women (According to the Merriam-Webster definition of feminine.) These qualities may include tenderness, nurturing, gentleness, compassion, empathy, and sensitivity. However, it is crucial to note and understand that femininity is not limited to women, and people of all genders can exhibit feminine traits, regardless of their sex or gender identity. It is, after all, a form of expression.
Who is a Feminist?
At its most basic, a feminist is a person who believes in feminism, which itself is best described simply as a belief in and advocacy of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. Feminists globally have differing ideas of what it means to be a feminist.
But there are three theses that ALL feminists support. These are the entrenchment of gender, i.e. the idea that society is gendered and that gender is one of the most significant features of one’s identity; the existence of patriarchy, i.e. the idea that a gendered society casts women as inferior and creates a hierarchy with men at the top – or a patriarchy; and the need for change. All feminists argue that patriarchy is unjust and needs reformation.
Thus, the overarching goal of feminism, and feminists by extension, is to create spaces and opportunities to reveal the realities of gendered power inequalities in society and how they affect women everywhere. Another goal of feminists about this becomes identifying solutions to mitigate these inequalities and empowering women in decision-making and access to resources.
Authorship Credits
Debastuti Talukdar is a third-year student of Political Science at Deshbandhu College, DU and the Content Head at Mandonna
Mihika is a second-year student of Political Science at Miranda House and a research intern at Mandonna
