We generally talk about inequality at work place and when it comes to remuneration and education and so many other aspects. What about inequality at our own house based on gender? What about the situation when you are not treated equally by your own parents, siblings and husband?
There are boundaries and options set for a girl by the society from so many years that we think that is right. We don’t think that there options and there can be choices that girl can make on her own and lead life as she wants it be led.
Let’s see the basic household situation, “girl or daughter should learn to cook”, this sentence is thrown at a girl several times not because she can be independent and there will not be any need for maid or house help in future and she can cook for herself, it is because she has to cook for husband and their family because that’s what she is born to do. This attitude has to change, girl can decide what skills does she need? What she is interested in? What she wants to learn? And can make her own choices.
There are no rules that says girls can’t play sports and boys can’t be classical dancers but those things are there in people’s mind and why?
Nobody has a solid answer but sometimes, some people randomly say “It looks weird”, “what society will say”, “it is not that appropriate”. Where is that council that is deciding which is appropriate and which is not when comes to life choices?
There is not even a single person who has a right to interfere in another’s life choices.
- Why girl has to always cook?
- Why girl has to manage household work?
- Why guy in the family has to make all the decisions?
- Why girl is not the bread winner in the family?
- Why girl can’t take care of her parents?
- Why it is only her responsibility to take care of the baby?
We already have answers to all these questions but we suppress the girl and try to shut her mouth about her choices and make her believe that she is the weaker sex. We hear ridiculous thing like “marry a girl and she will do all the chores”, No, that is not the reason why one should be marrying the girl.
The preaching that parents inject a girl from childhood can cause lot of trouble to her in future, that maybe sexual exploitation, physical abuse, financial dependence, verbal abuse and many more.
Connecting passion, interests, strength to gender can be harmful and problematic to both men and women.
Don’t make your girl child follow a path if she deserves better life than that. Don’t create boundaries and walls if she is made for things beyond that. Gender is just a biological appearance and has nothing do with their abilities and interests. Encouraging toxic masculinity can be hazardous to society and it is of no use to anyone.
