International Day of the Girl Child: Understanding the crux of gender equality
We speak about inequalities between men and women and a lot of us know that this starts with the girl child. Whether it is compromise on her nutrition or her dropping out of school, let’s just say ‘it is a boy’s world’ in most households. This is just at the face of it, intangible inequalities that have a psychological impact are almost impossible to measure and correct.
Sociology as a subject throws light on how every individual’s behaviour and decisions are governed by those closest to them – the inner circle of family & friends. Further, how knowledge and attitude of the inner circle is governed by the society they live inwhich is further governed by the cultural contours of the country at large. This essentially means that everything we think, speak or do is a product of our immediate and larger environment.
On the International Day of the Girl Child, which fell yesterday, my endeavour is to highlight the crux of the problem of gender inequality -- where it actually rises out of, the fact that norms and practices embedded in our society for generations drive our thinking and action even today and how ‘women empowerment’ is the most misunderstood term in the sphere of gender equality. The soul of the article highlights the oath that we must all take as women this IDGC, as an example for our girls; because what we preach and practise is what our girls will pick up, hence the need for us to be fully aware of our impact and role in creating and sustaining gender equality.
As a word of caution and in the interest of avoiding the road to activism, the article concludes with an appeal to the women folk and a welcome to men to be part of the change.
The crux of the problem:
In a general scenario we use a scientific approach to deep dive into the crux of any problem. In my experience, a session I attended 8 years ago threw open answers to myriad questions and helped me get a scientific perspective on gender inequalities. I’d like to share some excerpts from the session along with comments on my comprehension.
Gender roles
A gender role is a social role encompassing a range of behaviours and attitudes that are generally considered acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for people based on their sex.
Gender roles are cultural and personal. They determine how males and females should think, speak, dress, and interact within the context of society. Since our society has a set of ideas about roles of both men and women, behaviours are usually remote controlled by what the society perceives as right and wrong for each sex.
It is a problem of generations
When I first came across the term ‘gender stereotype’, it seemed complicated until I broke it down for myself. It is defined as ‘Preconceived ideas whereby females and males are arbitrarily assigned characteristics and roles determined and limited by their gender’.
Gender stereotyping can limit the development of the natural talents and abilities of girls and boys, women and men, as well as their educational and professional experiences and life opportunities in general. Stereotypes about women both result from, and are the cause of, deeply ingrained attitudes, values, norms and prejudices against women. They are used to justify and maintain the historical relations of power of men over women as well as sexist attitudes that hold back the advancement of women.
What we see as gender inequality today is actually the result of generations of norms that are embedded within us. The hope for change is axed at its roots when a girl child is born and it treated the exact same way. Even if the girl lives an equal life, she sees her mother and other women in her household experience guilt over the need for independence, succumb to gender stereotypes and live a life of compromise.And so the vicious cycle continues.
Women Empowerment
I urge every reader to take a moment to reflect on the meaning of women empowerment. What's the image that comes to mind?
I'm quite certain that it will hold a different meaning for each one of you. For some girl empowerment could be an educatedgirl, for others women empowerment could be a working woman. A girl who can say 'no', a girl who can make her own education / career choice, a girl who can wear what she likes, a woman solo traveller, a woman who rides a bike, a woman who juggles home & work, etc.
If we want to be an example for our girls, I urge every woman reading this article to look beyond the obvious, beyond the ‘empowerment statements’ above, beyond the standards society sets for us as empowerment.
Can we make an attempt to write our own story?
The Cambridge dictionary defines empowerment as the process of gaining freedom and power to do what you want or control what happens to you . Let’s identify what is it that we actually want? What is it that drives us? What are we really living for?
Let’s dive deep within our souls to understand our calling.
Let’s recognize the tug within us, to listen to that inner drive, that inner desire.
Because I am quite sure that deep within us somewhere – BEYOND making our fathers and husbands happy, agreeing to our mom’s advice on being a good girl, fulfilling expectations of society, succumbing to standards of behaviour, following instructions, fulfilling the image of a super-human that women’s day messages make us out to be; BEYOND ALL OF THIS – there is something that can make us super-women, the super-woman that we want to be.
Dare to Decide
And then let’s pursue that inner voice – the voice that has been suppressed by pressure to please.
Pursue that voice with complete vigour, determination and fire. Chase with no restriction, no permissions, without handing over the reins to someone else, with complete freedom !
With that confidence, let’s leave a legacy for our young girls to follow. The path we create for them today, is the one they will follow tomorrow. If we submit to fear, guilt, indecision then we are robbing them of the life that they could lead a life of equality.
A word of caution
I would like to conclude this article by making an appeal to all women. The strength in girl / women empowerment and gender equality lies in the way we take this on as a mission. And for a mission to be successful, it needs to be inclusive of the other gender. Women empowerment and gender equality do not mean stereotypical notions likemen bashing, bra burning, sessions on 'let's bitch about our spouses'.
As women who genuinely seek empowerment for our girls, let's take a decision to be responsible. All we need is to identify and recognize that inner voice, decide to follow that voice and leave a path for our girls to walk on.
The author is the Co-Founder of VIVA Development Strategies, a consulting practice in the development sector that provides turnkey solutions in the area of social responsibility for various stakeholders in the development eco-system. She is a recipient of the CSR Professional of the Year Award (2016) awarded by Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee and IndiaCSR. Views are personal
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