Mangaluru: Human beings are the only species wherein males consider themselves superior to females. The traditional family structure appoints men to earn a living and women stay at home to look after children. This arrangement supported by religions and culture do not give room for women to fend for themselves. This is not the case for other animals. As soon as babies grow up the females fend for themselves.
Human children take a long time to become adults. Even then, to leave the role of the bread winner to men is one of the biggest blunders of society. Like in the case of lions, it would be far better if females be the gender that hunt and gather. When we look at industrially advanced nations, we find that most households are run by single women. It is time society makes room for women to make lives better for themselves and their loved ones, financially.
Women have been fighting for equality for centuries. Equality is a tricky concept. This leads to debate on physical strength, history of scientific competence, driving skills, and other areas of male dominance. When women exhibit equality in these areas, questions are raised on their femininity. For example, the IAAF’s hyperandrogenism policy bars female athletes having higher level of male hormones from competitions. We are made to wonder about the very definition of gender when we learn about such policies. We do not read about any hormone related policies for men competing in international sports. There are always double standards for women, especially, the talented ones. Women must do away with this fight for equality. Women must celebrate the fact that they are different from men. That does not mean that women must be paid less for the same job they do as men. Or miss out on job opportunities they can do as well as any man.
It is no secret that women have to work harder than men to keep the same job. Peer appreciations that make a job worthwhile comes to women rarely. Woman’s liberation has a long way to go. No one cares about women issues like human trafficking, domestic violence, or pay check discrimination. Whereas slavery, which culturally made some people less than others, got abolished. This was because men were enslaved too. On the other hand, if slavery involved only women, we can be sure it would have been unresolved even today.
It is disgusting to see women depend on the benevolence of a husband. Women never grow up because they live off pocket money no matter how large the allowance may be. Men get away with a lot of things, not allowed for women, because they control the purse strings. Moreover, better life for women usually means better life for children. Hence, though men and women are different, society must strive for financial equality of genders. That is the only way women can live with dignity and make grown up decisions.