The society in which we live today is very different from that of our previous generations. We have a very different environment and learning process. The way our thoughts are conditioned and shaped is often determined by our upbringing and the surroundings we live in. The values we have as a society shape an individual and their thought process.
The agenda of women empowerment and gender neutrality is still one of the top issues. We have come a long way as today, we see women asserting their identities and contributing in almost every sector. Despite this, we still have a prejudiced way of looking at things and the patriarchal structure stands intact. It is still common to see people celebrating the first woman professional in their field. Women are still confined to the households and expected to fulfil their traditional roles of performing domestic chores and looking after kids.
It makes us very uncomfortable if a woman is prioritising her career or professional life over her family. We often see girls being encouraged to choose careers that people believe would not interfere with their traditional domestic role, which people think is the most important duty of a woman. We often see people celebrating or appreciating if a husband is doing household chores. We still think that men doing household work is something special. Men, at the same time, often feel proud that they are helping their wives in the house. They tend to feel that they’re doing a favour to their wives by helping them.
The patriarchal structure still stands strong and to a certain extent remains unchallenged. The fault lies in the way we are conditioned since childhood. Girls are taught to conduct themselves in a “girly manner”. Particular qualities that are appreciated in a girl are being soft-spoken, delicate, etc. The same holds true for boys who are encouraged to have qualities that are perceived to be “manly”. ‘Boys don’t cry’ is something we often hear mothers telling their sons.
Gradually, the kids start inculcating these values and adhere to the same, the result being the inability to distinguish between sex and gender. We confine these ascribed gender roles to their respective sex. And with this, everything that is a part of the patriarchal practice seems natural to us.
Although today we have many women going out and working in different sectors, we don’t see the same number of men taking household responsibilities and doing chores. This often leads to a situation of “double burden” on the woman, who now has to manage the house as well as her job.
Women should be empowered in real terms. The walls of patriarchy need to be shattered and the first step to do so is by making changes in the upbringing of children and breaking the walls of prejudice that creep in their minds. Women need much more than just reserved seats in the metro or public buses. They want access to equal opportunities to fulfil their dreams and live their life on their own terms.
They have been treated as inferior for decades. The chains of patriarchy need to be broken and women need to come up and challenge the very roots of the prevailing structure. Let them fly without any ceiling and let them walk without any walls to confine them.