Feminism is a Human fight, not a Female fight.- Frieda Pinto

(Disclaimer: please refer to my previous post; https://siddhijairath4.wixsite.com/website/post/men-are-from-earth-women-are-from-earth-deal-with-it-%E2%80%95-george-carlin also, keep an open mind while reading this)

What is ‘Gender Equality?’

1. A movement against men

2. A movement against women

3. A movement to equalize the social hierarchy

Answer: A movement to equalize the social hierarchy

A Definition

Gender inequality is directed at both men and women. Let's explore the different types of inequality women and men face:

Religious Practices:

• In the Indian festival ‘Karva chauth’, married women observe a day's fast and pray for the longevity of their husband's life. ‘What about the husbands?’ you may ask. Well, nothing! Men don’t fast and pray for the longevity of their wives life.

Religion. A philosophy made to give hope and belief and to encourage cooperation and tolerance among relative strangers. And yet, it is being used to differentiate between men and women. Although, nowadays husbands have started to fast with women.

Early years:

• ‘Girls should play with dolls and boys should play with cars’

• ‘Blue is a boys color and Pink is a girls color.’

The fact that such stereotypes are instilled within since the beginning is so disappointing.

Society dress codes:

• ‘Boys should not wear dresses or skirts’

• ‘Boys should not wear makeup’

• ‘Girls should not wear suits’

• ‘Girls should be thin, fair and beautiful to attract men’

Education related:

• ‘Girls are better at reading and boys are better at math’

• ‘Boys should engage in sports rather than creative fields’

Toxic Masculinity:

• ‘A boy that doesn't use violence or aggression is an understandable target for bullying’

• ‘Boys and men are expected to use violence and aggression to prove their manliness’

Relationships and Sexuality Related

• ‘A spouse abuse victim is weak for getting out of the relationship’

• ‘There is something wrong with a woman that doesn’t want children’

• ‘Assertive women are unfeminine and are "bossy," "bitches” or “whores”’

• ‘Women are natural nurturers; men are natural leaders’

• ‘Women don’t require equal pay as they are supported by their husbands’

• ‘Women who appear less feminine or reject advances from men are lesbians’

• ‘Women with children or planning to start a family are less devoted to their jobs’

• ‘Men who spend time with family are less masculine’

• ‘In heterosexual couples, women should take time off to care for children or elders unlike men who should spend more time earning money’

• ‘Men who are not aggressive and/or assertive are likely gay’

• ‘Same-sex couples cannot make good parents’

• ‘A transgender or gender non-confirming person is profoundly wrong’

• ‘Women are too emotional to undertake certain kinds of professional work, especially while pregnant’

• ‘Men are too impersonal and not emotionally intelligent to take tasks which are "better done by women"’

The Solution

When something is wrong, what do you do? Follow the cycle? No! We break the cycle and correct the system. Just like that, we have to do the same thing here! We need to break through the stereotypes. You may be wondering ‘How we can do this?’ Well, do the opposite of what the stereotypes stated above, break the so- called ‘rules’.

What can Parents do? Give your children an open environment, let them be themselves. Don’t deny requests such as ‘[As a male] Can I paint my nails?’ Give them an opportunity to express themselves, teach them about social topics such as LGBTQIAAP+ community, POC Discrimination, Gender Inequality and Ableism so that one day, they can grow up to be aware, respectful adults. Giving them an open environment will help give them the trust to involve you in their life, to accept you as an important part of their life.

What can you do as a male or female? Break through these stereotypes and do the opposite of these stereotypes. If you’re a male, wear a skirt or dress and post about it on social media to raise awareness. If you’re a female, put on a suit and post pictures of yourself on social media to help raise awareness about stereotyping.

What can you do as a teacher? In order to educate students about this topic, you can play a game to engage students while teaching them about this topic. Use this website and follow the instructions to help instill the awareness about this topic. Link: https://www.glsen.org/activity/thats-gender-stereotype

In the end, Feminism is a Human fight, not a Female fight.

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Bibliography

• That's a (Gender) Stereotype!. (2020). Retrieved 31 December 2020, from https://www.glsen.org/activity/thats-gender-stereotype

• (2020) Gender Equality Law.org. Available at: https://www.genderequalitylaw.org/examples-of-gender-stereotypes (Accessed: 31 December 2020).

• The History Of Men & Skirts (2017). Available at: https://www.bustle.com/p/the-history-of-men-skirts-58088 (Accessed: 31 December 2020).

• Why Do We Have Religion Anyway? (2020). Available at: https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/were-only-human/why-do-we-have-religion-anyway.html (Accessed: 31 December 2020).