Gender Equality: Right from our childhood, intentionally or unintentionally society has always thrown challenges in front of us and also a huge rule book. This is more like a burden or baggage of the expectations that society puts on us. But it’s quite suffocating, because at every step, only we are the ones getting preaching on how to behave decently and properly and also the difference between proper and improper behavior. For example: Going out at night is an improper behavior but only for girls; Decent girls don’t wear small clothes, they don’t wear jeans or t-shirts because it is an insult to our culture and also it may provoke people (if you know what I mean).
DISCRIMINATION STORIES RIGHT FROM OUR HOMES
Discrimination is present everywhere because society has no mercy for girls. The best example is our homes, whether in the case of a deadline that is different for our brothers and us or the way we are taught the household chores but not our brothers. Our grandmothers have always said that it’s the job of women to learn how to cook, if you don’t know cooking, then you are worthless even if you know how to run a million-dollar company.
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That is why every girl child has gifted a kitchen set and not the doctor’s set. We consider pink as the girly color and blue as the manly color, and we don’t have any justified or logical explanation behind it. We just do so because society’s rule book says so. I am a girl but I hate the pink color and they are many girls out there who hate pink or blue and make like some other color. But when color doesn’t discriminate among us then why do we?
Before girls are even born or before their education can be planned, the very first thing that is planned is the dowry for her marriage which makes the lives of girls even much more difficult. Because it feels like we are product on sale and along with us you get a bumper prize which includes everything starting from kitchen items to the car, a bed to sofa, and anything that you demand. And if the demands are not fulfilled then women become the victims of domestic violence, their families face a lot of humiliation.
To save the martial life of their daughters, parents continue to fulfill the demands even after so many years of marriage. And we are also advised to be quite to about this so that we can save our marital life or because society doesn’t accept a divorcee but it can accept a dead body of that woman or a victim and also because society questions the character of such women who fight against this and try to come out of that hell.
QUESTIONS AT EVERY STEP…
Why does society question the character of women who fight against the sufferings? Because our mothers or grandmothers have always been telling us that girls are the “Paraya Dhan” and their right place is their husband’s home but at their husband’s home, the treat them as they are outsiders because they come from a different home. So, which do girls belong to?
And that is why when we decide to leave that house because we are suffering so much then their own family because of this so-called society tries to convince them not to do so. They say it’s normal. It happens. You need to adjust or better you need to compromise. But why only we? We already do so many sacrifices. We sacrifice and try to accept the other family wholeheartedly and then we think for their happiness before us. They become our family. But, do they accept us wholeheartedly? Rare. But, everybody expects us to excel in everything. Why and how? Because we are women.
Also read: GOT FREEDOM BUT ARE YOU FREE?
How does it feel when a man is standing next to you and he is crying and society taunts him or calms him down by saying that, “STOP CRYING LIKE A GIRL” or “YEH LADKIYON KI TARAH KYA RO RAHA HAIN”? Ouch, it felt like somebody stabbed you. Men and Women can feel every emotion in the same way. They both can get angry and they can both can be sad and can cry because that is how nature has designed them. But when it comes to crying or tears then, they are as only women’s emotions. As tears are the sign of weakness and we are the most emotional and weakest creature so tears become our property. Quite progressive, Naa?
My questions to the society are that Why my character is always on the board when I work late in the office or when I get a promotion? Or Why you always question my talents and capabilities? It is the same, like the Ancient times where women were incapable of being a proficient ruler. Not because they lack the qualities of being a proficient ruler. But the real reason was the thinking of male society. The so-called male society that did not accept the fact that they would be ruled by a woman. Our society has always taught us that women are inferior to men.
Women should never interfere in the decisions that men take because the only place where women belong in the kitchen. They deserve no respect. People were not ready to consider them as human beings. They were not ready to accept them as individuals who have the right to live their lives with dignity. And they do not get the same acknowledgment as the male members of society. Why we always question only women how are they able to balance between work and their children?
Why we always expect women to change their surname after marriage? Only women are the ones who compromise their choices, freedom, Why? We never question any men that how can you not know how to cook? Or how to maintain a balance between work life and personal life?
They come from the office and they can rest because they are hardworking. But what about all those working women, either they heir somebody or just come back and do all the household chores by themselves. But still, we question them if they fail and give them the tag of irresponsible or imperfect and etc. Constitution allows every citizen of the country to practice their freedom of speech and expression.
But society also questions women about their choices of clothes but not the men who can wear whatever they want. If we talk about our rights, then society taunts us by saying that we got too much freedom and we are on our efforts to misuse it.
But we never question or set the limit for boys or men? Because they are boys or men, So why anybody will question them?
Even we are held responsible for acid attacks or rape or domestic violence.
According to society, women provoke men by wearing short clothes or by refusing to be puppets. Or taking a stand for ourselves against the violence against women.
Because we live in male-dominant society?
Where Mata Sita’s purity is at stake but not the Ravana’s intentions? Why? So, what about those little girls being raped? Do they also dress improperly? or what about those infants who are raped, how do they provoke men? I know many people will find no answer to this. Even, I have no answer to this.
Because if instead of blaming and questioning women’s character or their clothes or other baseless things. And start blaming the men’s intention who commit such heinous crimes such as rape. Or show their masculinity by beating their wives, or mentally torturing them or abusing them whether physically or mentally. And start questioning the men’s character. Only then, maybe we will find the answers to the questions asked by the females of our society.
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It’s high time that we should not only talk about gender equality or expect the government to make some laws or policies regarding it. But, we should try to implement gender equality in the functioning of our society.