Brilliant Comic Perfectly Illustrates the Definition of Mansplaining

The subjects of equality, gender, and feminism come up a lot these days, and you may have also heard the term “mansplaining” being thrown around in conversation. But what does that actually mean? Is it something you may be guilty of?

In an effort to clarify some of the confusion surrounding the term, the folks at The Nib created a delightful comic that helps answer those questions and more.

Mansplaining isn’t just a term for men trying to explain something – it’s a systematic pattern of ignoring the perspectives and knowledge of women.

A lot of men I know get instantly defensive when they’re accused of mansplaining, but it’s not meant as a personal attack. It’s merely a way to bring into consciousness a culturally pervasive behavior that needs to be recognized before it can be changed.

Simply put, female voices tend to go unheard more often than not. This happens through all stages of their lives.

Mansplaining/lack of female perspective can be seen across all forms of media, but it’s even more glaringly obvious when it comes to debates about women’s rights or gender equality.

Mansplaining is hardly the only form of silencing that occurs on a cultural level. Minorities have always faced the threat of being silenced by the majority.

The best thing we can do to try to make a change for the better is to consciously and consistently make sure we are listening to all of the voices in the room, and to make an effort to bring any missing voices to the table.