In our family either in India or in the whole of South Asia, the condition of women has not been equal to men due to many social problems. All these social problems still exist throughout society and determine our everyday life and social relations. It is more interesting that even today we see that women in the entire society are still struggling to get at least basic right for their survival. They are facing discrimination not just at their workplace but also in their family and society too.
In India’s case, as Oxfam Report suggest that in the workplace women receive 34 % fewer wages than their male partner. Similarly during the Pandemic, according to the Indian government’s data, gender inequality has been increased- 55% of the women are not using public health services, because of high health expenditure and several social and cultural reasons. Similarly, if look at the rest of South Asia, the same condition exist everywhere and women in this entire region are still not able to access even basic facilities.
The main sources of discrimination against women either in the family or at the workplace are rooted in the history of human civilization. Broadly, all these sources and their different forms such as religious conservatism, racial segregation and caste notion have been existing for a long period of time in our entire society. It is fact that not just religious conservatism but also racial segregation and caste notion have been responsible for several forms of inequality.
How Have Different Social And Cultural Ethics Oppressed Women?
Especially in the case of women, all these factors have not just created different kinds of social and cultural ethics in order to control women thinking and behaviour but also define the way through which man and women perform differently in their family and society. Besides, these social factors also form many other social and cultural barriers that stigmatize women’s body and behaviour defending the unequal relationship between man and women. But it is fact that in our society and family, the notion of religion and its close connection to ethnicity has been a key factor, it silently defines unequal relation between man and women.
Many reports on the connection between religion and ethnicity reveal that both in their close connection define how do women and men follow ethnic and religious notion to perform in the family and society. It also defines the way through which both male and female member engage with each other in the family.
At present, in our entire society, a different kind of notion is still going on and this notion on one hand closely affect and control women’s mobility on the other hand also stigmatize women identity and behaviour in the family on the other hand. Thus, in this case, the relationship between man and women in the family is not just stigmatized but also it reproduces inequality.
How Can We Promote Gender Equality Within The Family?
Promoting gender equality in the family and society is a significant step to transform society and family into a progressive one. In the case of family, promoting gender equality not just creates a new kind of social values and ethics but also cultivate a new sense of identity among individual family members.
In other words, it may be said that it is a kind of rational activity and it offers an equal space for both man and women in the family. It also defends the notion of equality and mutual relation between both. Therefore, to promote gender equality in the family, there are many things that need attention and also need to be practised in the family and society very consciously.
The principle of the division of labour that still exists in our family and society has been a key factor that not just defining the idea of family and society but also an individual’s nature and behaviour basis on gender. Therefore, the principle of division of labour need attention and also need to be reduced very consciously.
Every family member either man or women consciously not just live together equally but also should create a space for mutual relation and togetherness among family members. Similarly, equal participation in every activity in the family is another step that should be practised by both male and female.
We Need To Create An Ethic Of Partnership In Marriages Instead Of Domination
It creates a new kind of ethics and value that defend equal status for both man and women. It recognizes the role and also the contribution of women in the family as equal to the man. A third important step that must be practised by all family members is the principle of freedom. It is one of the basic rights; it offers an equal status for every individual in the family. Even children in the family without following any discrimination basis of gender identity also get equal opportunity and show their ability equally in the family and society.
In the last, the practice of critical and rational thinking is also one of the important steps that every family member should practice in their daily life. it often promotes not just gender equality but also the equal status of both man and women in the family.
The principle of critical and rational thinking in itself is a process; it often reduces social and cultural barriers and creates a condition for the struggle against male domination in the family. Because of its tendency to challenge the power relation and male hegemony, the principle of critical and rational thinking leads an individual and the family toward progressive social change.