GENDER BIASED SOCIETY

GENDER BIASED SOCIETY

I was often told by my Mother that men and women are like two wheels of a motor bike and if one is removed the vehicle won’t run at all. I grew up assuming that this notion is true and that is how society should exist; both genders equally sharing the responsibility and creating perfect harmony. Alas! I was mistaken; when I became somewhat mature I looked around and could visibly see discrimination and biased views prevailing in abundance. Surprisingly in India I found that Men hold a visibly dominant position in the society whereas women are often looked down upon. Why? I pondered and spent a few restless nights during the course of my thoughts and analysis.

Gender biased

India, my country is majorly a gender biased society granted an elevated status to men and women in general remained at the bottom. At times I felt that discrimination meted out to scheduled castes is less than what a woman faces in our society. Let us start with the first episode; when a boy is born the entire family rejoices and if a girl is born they same joy or happiness is rarely witnessed.

Exceptions exist but they are unquantifiable; it reminds me of the barbaric tradition prevalent in Arabian countries before the advent of Islam when they would bury alive their daughters. Though India has not fallen to that lowest level but still the balance is clearly in favor of men.

We then move on to the next pivotal step in the evolutionary ladder; the male child requires education so best possible effort is made to give him the ideal learning institutions, for families think about their own future.

 They feel that their ‘boy’ needs the best for he will soon be a ‘bread earner’ for us where as why do we need to educate the ‘girl’. She needs no education for her future is confined to making food, cleaning the house and in the near future bear children for her husband so the first ‘compromise’ is made. The female is deprived of her right to education on these flimsy grounds.

We move on a little further in time; the boys may play all sorts of sports or indulge in any recreational activity for they are ‘men’ and have to face the world one day. The women need no recreation and her leaving the house would symbolize dishonor for the family. So in the end she simply remains under ‘house arrest’ till she is married.

Ah! How can I forget the most vital decision of her life; men are free to choose whomever they like but the ‘girl’ must abide by her family’s wishes and marry the ‘suitor’ chosen by her family. If she happens to dislike the person no one is bothered to the least extent.

Thus she ends up in most cases marrying individuals for whom she has no feelings or liking. After marriage if she wishes to make decisions on important issues pertaining to her matrimonial life or children; she is ‘justly’ stopped by her in-laws. 

She cannot intervene or take major decisions without the consent of ‘male’ members of the family. Thus the vicious cycle never ends. For whatever she has learned and experienced; rips her apart and she is not in a position to teach her female child anything else other than the simple fact that we live in a ‘man’s world’.