An Introduction

Harin Moon

Femininity is a complex quality originating in experiences typically exclusive to women. While femininity is frequently related to grace, strength, and resilience, we live in an uncomfortable reality where, to those who are tied to it, femininity comes with a plethora of societal disadvantages and an absent yet well-deserved sense of security. I’m sure some find themselves pondering the reason why our population continues to turn a blind eye to the experiences of women, and why an omnipresent air of oppression towards minority groups continues on a systematic scale. Is it simply human nature to discriminate against unfamiliarity? If coming to terms with our differences and embracing unity and equity is really in our nature as many claim it is, why has exclusion, ignorance, and conflict continued to exist from the very beginning of human civilization?

While it’s impossible to obtain concrete evidence to answer this question, a more abstract inference would be that the reason that discriminatory violence continues to this day is because we are still unable to address it as being wrong. Activism is effective, but only when it is loud or widespread. Activism is also uncomfortable. If the modern level of oppression seemingly doesn’t affect an individual’s world, why should said individual choose to address it, all while risking the condemnation of their opinion or facing violence themselves? In the end, it comes down to two crucial aspects which differentiate a human being from an animal: empathy and critical thinking. Empathy is recognizing that, while an oppressive agenda may not be affecting you, it is a life-anddeath matter for somebody- perhaps even a massive population of people. It’s acknowledging that people have always overcome hardships through unity and mutual assistance, whether the issue be minor or on a national or global scale. Critical thinking enables you to open your mind to issues that may not necessarily be your own, expanding your library of knowledge and nurturing your ability to view situations from a multi-dimensional perspective in the process. In terms of feminism, it’s knowing that the continued existence of an invisible patriarchy not only discriminates against women, but forces unhealthy stereotypes onto men while creating an environment where they feel it is unsafe to express themselves in any way other than the conventional image created. The point is that it doesn’t matter who you are; whether you are a man or a woman, a woman who enjoys traditional femininity or one who prefers another way of self expression, someone with lots of experience or zero experience with femininity or being a woman, feminism is a movement which advocates for universal equity. Radical minorities exist which have soured the perception of the word ‘feminism’ , especially in Korea. While starting your reading of this issue with a pinch of doubt is wholly understandable, I implore you to keep an open mind as you continue, keeping in mind that the original definition of feminism is not a fight for superiority, but a fight for equality. With this out of the way, please sit back and enjoy the third issue of La Musawah! All of our writers, editors, and illustrators have put lots of work into creating something equally informative and entertaining. This year is my first one writing and designing for the magazine, and I had a lot of fun.

We dearly hope you leave this issue with some insight and an updated perspective on the true nature of feminism. ♡