This is such a double-edged question and you know it’s a trick to put you in one of the 2 boxes that the person asking it has usually created for you!

Any person asked this question becomes at least a little alert while answering it, if not nervous!

The way I see it, a good way to respond would be to ask this person back, “Do you consider yourself sexist/ ageist/ racist/ casteist or discriminatory towards any group that can be considered a minority?”

If the answer is No, then I am afraid my friend, you are a feminist! Welcome to the club!

Any person who wants and acts on providing equal opportunity to people, without any consideration to their gender/caste/race/sexual orientation or any diversity, should identify as a feminist, in my humble opinion!

It does not mean exactly 50-50 of everything, it does not mean women want to compete physically with men to prove their physical strength.

One woman’s achievements or breaking of some barriers also does not mean that others have broken free of these institutional, social, and conditioned barriers, unlike what certain leaders have you believe in today’s times! (*cough*)

Don’t take the word “equal” literally but understand the context of the matter first.

A huge chunk of the world even today is affected due to our unconscious biases that create unequal opportunities and lesser parity for them.

It is important to address these biases. Here are a few ways that can be done: by a. recognizing, acknowledging, and talking about the fact that such biases exist and b. taking corrective actions to create more diverse AND inclusive spaces within communities, workplaces, and in life.