What Nora Fatehi Gets Wrong About Feminism

Nora Fatehi criticizes radical feminism and believes in traditional gender roles.

Nora Fatehi criticizes radical feminism, believes in traditional gender roles, and questions the necessity of the movement.

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Nora Fatehi, like many others, thinks Feminism is a monolith. She considers, through her myopic lens, that feminism is up in arms against women who want to be ‘nurturers’  – who want to play a more traditional role in society. In her not-so-riveting conversation with YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, she states, “The idea of being inherently completely independent and not having to get married and have kids and not having the male and female dynamics at home where the man is the provider, a breadwinner and the woman is the nurturer. I don’t believe in people who think that’s not true.”

A look into the idea of Feminism

It’s important to clarify that being the “breadwinner” or the “nurturer” was never the problem – the problem was that women never got to choose if they wanted to do that at all. In the past, women needed a male relative like a father, brother, husband, or son to conduct business. Also, married women couldn't make decisions about their children without their husband's permission. Many women in India, continue to depend on their fathers or spouses financially although it’s not legally dictated but unfortunately warranted. In these cases, feminism attempts to make the playing field even. 

If one knows anything about feminism it is that the social-political movement had many schools of thought. From liberal to radical Feminism, there is no end to ideas that are highlighted by the movement. However, at its core, it demands social, political and economic rights for women.

What is radical feminism?

Nora Fatehi also argued, “Feminism inherently, on the base level, is great. I also advocate for women’s rights, I also want girls to go to school. However, when feminism becomes radical, it becomes dangerous for the society.” Her reservations towards radical feminism are unwarranted, this school of thought believes in going into the root of women’s oppression and isn’t violent at its core. Is the idea ‘dangerous’ as she purports? Many support the views many don’t, but calling it ‘dangerous’ seems misleading.  

Shulamith Firestone, co-founder of the New York Radical Feminists, in "The Dialectic of Sex" argued that love put women at a disadvantage by forming close bonds between them and the men they loved—men who were also their oppressors. Not conforming to gender roles is an intrinsic part of radical feminism, a school of thought that Nora has a problem with. 

A case against traditional gender roles

The idea of Feminism, as a movement with its complex history, cannot be dismissed with her statements around gender-role stereotypes, such as, “We call it an old-school, traditional way of thinking. I call it the normal way of thinking. It’s just that feminism f*cked it up a little bit.”

Her “traditional” and apparently “normal” idea neglects that Feminism opened doors for many who did not prescribe to traditional ideas. The fact that Nora Fatehi wants to be the flagbearer of what “normal” looks like is questionable.

It's one thing to disagree with parts of a movement that have taken years to hold ground. However, it is another thing entirely to disregard it without understanding what it has done for women at large. No doubt that there are issues with parts of the movement, however, one cannot also completely dismiss is.

What Other Celebrities Got Right

In the clip from 2018, during her speech at the Global Education & Skills Forum (GESF) in Dubai, Priyanka took the opportunity to explain the distinction between gender equality and equity, she had a more nuanced view of the subject.

Shefali Shah on the other hand said to Pinkvilla, "Even when I am asked, are you a feminist, I want to say yes I am because the dictionary meaning of feminism is equality between genders."

Netizens were not happy about Nora's remark either

It doesn’t come as a shock that her statement didn’t go down well with netizens either.

One user wrote, "Tell me you don’t understand feminism without telling me you don’t understand feminism. Nora Fatehi stands on the shoulders of women who have sacrificed everything so she can earn her own wage, vote and much more. Keep your pick me opinions for the men you’re pandering to."

Another wrote, "Nora fatehi’s understanding of feminism is just about as relevant as any of her songs are to the plot of the movie"

Here are some more reactions

It's not easy to fight for a place in the world which constantly tries to relegate you to the margins. The pressure to conform has always been invisible and its impact is catastrophic - a woman is not only a mother, a wife but so much more. Nora, in her brash attempts to undercut feminism, fails to take note that she can voice her opinions thanks to the other women who came before her and paved the way. Women had to fight for their rights, and it's best not to disregard them.