If we look at all facets of life, we would observe differences in the choices one needs to make according to one’s gender. Let’s take schools as an example. What is the reason behind more girls taking up home science than boys? Why is it that the number of boys taking up Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) more than the number of girls doing the same? Even in workplaces, the salary received by male employees usually exceeds that of female employees.
If you ask the people around you to name some Company CEOs, names like Elon Musk, Warren Buffet, and Mukesh Ambani immediately come to mind. Why not names like Lisa Su, Marillyn Husson, and Mary Barra, who have also had an influential impact on society? What is the reason behind this difference?
The reason behind these double standards is that as a society, we choose to live with these social evils as a part of our daily lives. We fail to recognize its presence and detrimental impact on both genders. Speaking up against such double standards is perceived as a threat to the basis on which humanity has progressed. Why will people waste efforts on something they do not think is a problem in the present-day scenario?
One of the ways to combat this issue is by generating awareness, in a way that appeals to the people. It could happen by reaching out to those who may not have the slightest bit of knowledge about such issues, and making use of fields that interest people and spreading awareness amongst them.
Another example would be the Bollywood industry- a source that injects the venom of sexism into society. Indian cinema has normalized sexism as a part of our community. The only roles women are assigned are to be around a man and serve him. It is a perfect display of how women are objectified, and how men view them more as property, than equal citizens.
Although awareness about an issue may not directly contribute to its eradication, when people recognize its existence as a menace to society, it becomes easier to wage a struggle to eradicate that issue. Another way to address the double standards amongst men and women is to bring changes in our own life. We view the double standards as an issue faced by society as a whole, but we forget that we make up society.
Only when we bring changes in our lives, will our society change for the better. If you are a boy, make sure that your hobbies go beyond the playground- include activities such as cooking in the kitchen. Vice-versa would apply to girls. The initiative may be small, but significant developments require small beginnings.