Gender Equality: The Unfinished Business of the 21st Century

"It is time that we all see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals"

- Emma Watson 

What is gender?

Gender refers to the characteristics of women and men that are perceived by society. It includes norms, behaviours and roles associated with being a woman and man. As a social construct, gender varies and can change over time.

What is gender inequality and, why is it becoming such a big issue?

Gender inequality is the unequal treatment or perceptions of an individual based on their gender. It causes distress and trouble to women across the world daily as it is experienced daily such as family, workplaces etc. It can also lead to extremely dangerous and toxic misconceptions which can even risk a person's life and reputation. Of course, it's not just the women that are affected by this. Even men struggle with these rigid and almost cruel ideologies. Let's dive a little deeper to understand what all this is about.

A Brief History

When human societies abandoned their wanderlust in favour of agricultural settlements, the first inklings of gender inequality started taking root. Historians figured that the cultural practice of valuing men over women arose sometime in pre-history before written records emerged. 

Just like today, women were expected to take care of the household work, which was looked down upon just as a duty and not actual work. Meanwhile, men were considered the heads of the family and were in charge of the more "important" things like hunting and gathering food, leading the tribes etc. As tribes, eventually developed into kingdoms, these same ideas were carried forward and became so enrooted into the society that it still exists. 

 

Of course, it wasn't all bad, there were (and still are) still many societies that empowered women. For example, in matrilineal societies where an individual was considered to belong to the same descent group as their mother. These societies were more open-minded and treated men and women as two equals. The state of Meghalaya in India is one example of one such state in which matriliny is still practised.

In more recent times, we have seen many movements like the Women's suffrage movement etc. These have improved the societal conditions for women but, it is to be noted that some stereotypes and stigmas remain and, it's our priority to break such conventional ideologies. 

What are the Stereotypes males and females face?

A stereotype is an idea or an over-simplified image of what a person or object is. People face different stereotypes at all points in life. They are often based on behaviour and physical appearances.

"Boys don't cry."

"Boys should be tall and muscular."

"Girls don't play sports."

"Girls should be thin and pretty."

These are some of the things young girls and boys are told, it shapes them to become what society thinks a girl is and what a boy is. Contrary to what most people think, not only women but men are also subject to stereotypes. Stereotypes pressure people into thinking that acting differently from the stereotypes is abnormal. Stereotypes about a man and woman's role in the house or workplace are what drive economic inequalities and keep them from being eradicated.

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What is Toxic Feminism?

Feminism is the advocacy of women's rights based on equality of the sexes. It is a term used to show that women can achieve all their goals. However, sometimes it is used to bring women down. This is known as toxic feminism. As Emma Watson once said,

"Feminism is not a stick with which to beat other women with. It's about freedom, it's about liberation, it's about equality."

This one sentence implies that many women bring each other down even after knowing how it feels to be on the receiving end of their actions or words.

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This toxic feminism also leads to Misandry i.e is the hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against men or boys in general. 

This is not what feminism is about. Feminism is about being liberated from inequalities. It is about both genders being looked at and treated equally.

Some prominent Feminists

Over the period of time, there have been many men and women who have raised their voices for the rights of women. Some of them include:

• Raja Ram Mohan Roy:
  Contributed to the abolishment of child marriage and sati.
  
  
• Malala Yousafzai:
  Stood up for the right of education for girls and was even shot because of this. Fortunately, she recovered and has also been the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts.
  
  
• Ramabai Ranade:
  Started 'Hindu Ladies Social Club' in Mumbai to develop public speaking among women and was an active social reformer
  
  
• Gulabi Gang:
  The Gulabi Gang is a vigilante group. The group to widespread domestic abuse and other violence against women. It was previously commanded by Sampat Pal Devi. The group consists of women between 18 and 60 years old.

And many more famous personalities like actors and actresses, politicians, athletes etc. have highlighted the importance of gender equality. 

We, as a society can only function in harmony together, not separately. So it's our responsibility to remove such biases and it starts from home. It's important to educate the younger generation so that our future is free of such inequalities.