Gender Sensitivity 👩👨🦱
Heyo readers! How have you been? Missed me? Now, now don’t shy away, I know you did!
Recently, our school organised a talk on gender sensitivity. This got me thinking about how ignorant I had been on such a crucial topic. I guess I was ignorant because I was one of the lucky ones who was brought up in a supportive environment (too supportive, phew..). It got me thinking about why men were ( and in many cases still are) considered as the heads of the family and women as playing second fiddle. If you ask me, it’s women who rule the house but fine, I don’t want to hurt anyone’s ego🤘.
I was called during the program to make impromptu speech on gender equality. I tried my best but as I came offstage, my one-of-a-kind-limited-edition brain 🧠 revved up thoughts of what else I could have spoken .Ughh why doesn’t my brain work when I actually need it to. Back to the topic, I thought of writing these thoughts in my diary butttt why write when you can type? With the sun shining bright and birds chirping merrily, it was on that beautiful day, this blog was born🤱.
In earlier times, when most of the occupations were male dominated, the vocabulary was masculine. For instance when we say a policeman or a fire man we make an unconscious decision that the said professionals are male even when they can be of the opposite gender👮♀️👷♀️👩🌾. This is where language plays an important role in gender bias. Can we have a new lexicon, please!!
Yes, we have come a long way from the times where women oppression was routine, but, it still exists in 21st century. In rural settings, families still discourage the females from education and empowerment making them sit in the houses and learn to be ‘proper wives’, diverting resources in favour of son instead. Whyyy? Girls are not born to take care of houses, they are born to delight the world with their awesomeness! 🧚♀️
We live in 2 different worlds. One where women are supported, cherished and loved equally. One where they are treated with respect and dignity. One where women and men are considered at par. But we also live in another world, where their wings are cut off, sobs are muffled and they are brought down at every chance. One where they don’t even dare to dream of freedom and independence. Even after 20 years of save the girl child movement, female feticide continues unabated.
While talking about gender sensitivity, we are talking of not only women but also men. I believe that men are also stereotyped .Many men are discouraged from learning cooking, dancing, cleaning, things considered as feminine jobs. I find this ironical since some of the best chefs I know are men! 👨🍳
When I was young, many a dolls and barbies adorned my room but never an airplane or a car. Every single thing I owned was pink. From my ceiling to my shoes. I am not complaining because it was my favourite colour. So maybe the stereotype of women liking pink is true..👛👚
Media has and is playing a very important role in creating a gender equal society, but at the end of the day, it’s people like me and you who can make a difference. No more “boys can’t do this” “girls can’t do this”. We have to open our eyes and mind and accept changes. Let’s try to put behind the stereotypes we are brought up with.
You brought some of the good points here for this indeed highly sensitive topic in our society. Those women who have gone through the unequal treatment with lifelong consequences, they understand what it would mean to have equal status for both sexes in the society. I guess in our system, child can teach parents about this topic well and bring the desired change in the society. :-) well written and enjoyed reading your blog. Keep writing!
ReplyDeleteI am very happy to read your blog so beautifully written on a subject like gender sensitivity which is globally and locally most imprtant to be continuouly visited. I specially love the way you write and express your views. Gender sensitivity is very sensitive issue and in India there are diverse opinion in this matter. Let there be no ego issue. Both men and women are created by God to be equally important and respected without any biass in favour of one or the other. Let us remember historically women have been exploited in the past and women empwerment is the need of the hour.
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