Reinventing Feminism: Balancing Rights And Responsibilities

Abstract

Virginia Woolf had analyzed the social construction of gender roles through her writings. Her prophetic vision made her perceive gender not as a contradiction but as a spectrum of identity and experience. She questioned the societal definitions of ‘female’ and ‘feminine’ that serve to define roles and rules, and she completely rejected both the notion of feminism and the label of feminist. Instead, she advocated the concept of the androgynous mind, which exists free from gender binaries and biases, with the aim of transforming society. Her writing offers a profound analysis of what it means to be a woman in a patriarchal environment. Virginia Woolf put forward the need for material and intellectual circumstances necessary for women’s emancipation that was creating room for women’s voices and rebuilding institutions. She insisted on accountability and urged women to fight against oppressive power systems. She gave reasons for a total reinvention of identity, history, and culture. Virginia Woolf wished to see men and women working together for universal peace and freedom. The legacy of Virginia Woolf continues to inspire feminist thought, reminding us that the struggle for gender equality is not merely political but also deeply emotional and artistic.