Time and Again They Greatly Did Oppress Me
I am non a gender expert. What and how I learned about inequality emerged from pure existential needs. But what I clearly see is that both men and women are victims of the patriarchal society we live in. The sooner we run across that the better.
This blog is written by Mahamuda Rahman. She is working equally a Communications Officer at Cordaid.
Even enlightened people sometimes come with the almost surprising answers if yous ask them virtually gender equality. Like 'men and women are non the same'. Or 'they can get equity merely they are not equal.' Autonomously from being vague answers, they are also proof of ignorance. And testify exactly why we need to expose gender inequality and patriarchism.
Men cannot cry, women must look pretty
From our childhood, we are imposed with a lot of stereotyping like these. Boys don't cry. Girls take to look pretty. We are continuously exposed to uncountable numbers of normalized sexism. Similar 'girls run similar a girl'. Pregnant we cannot run.
From babyhood onwards, we are all given certain burdens to carry. Boys and girls, men and women. Like the social burdens of oppression, the humiliation of beingness 'poor', or 'fatty', or 'unsuccessful' or 'colored'. I have heard a woman with perfect body shape calling herself fatty. And a rather wealthy middle-class human being calling himself poor. Because she did non fit into a item apparel and he could not buy the luxury car he longed for.
We alive in a society where a few strong systems of oppression are at play – class, race, imperialism. Gender inequality is also ane of them. People of all genders, colours, and backgrounds are victims. And definitely, some more than others.
Once upon a time
Perchance we all know this. But however, sometimes it's good to look back. Long story short, our prehistoric, nomadic fore-parents lived in a more or less equal society. With the advent of agriculture and the thought of property, men wanted to keep rail of their progenies. Therefore, women were locked inside the firm. Also, having more hands to piece of work in the field was very helpful. So, women were forced to keep childbearing. Their contribution was forced to be confined within the bounds of a household for centuries. Their roles varied depending on the class and context. But the chain effectually their talocrural joint was never longer than the threshold of the house.
The truth backside this propaganda is that some people only love to go on their power and they invent these convenient dichotomies. There is nothing natural near it.
If you do non use a auto for a very long time, it becomes rusty. The torso and brain of women went through centuries of deprivation, repression, malnutrition. The heavy toll of childbearing every yr took on their bodies, just like the cruel dictatorship of 'beauty' or the trinity of being soft, pale, and frail. In that location's concrete, but also intellectual deprivation. Only call back when women weren't even immune to larn how to read and write. Millions of girls are still kept away from schools. Or from pursuing their dreams and exploring their talents. Which is as well social deprivation. Women were and are continuously reminded of their inferiority. Simply past 'nature', past being a woman.
'It's past nature': an all- invasive propaganda
Throughout history, when some people wanted others to be submissive, they played the nature card. For poor people life is hard and that is natural. They accept it the style it is. For the people everyman in the caste system, this categorization and privilege enjoyed by the upper casts were also presented as something god-given and natural. At some point, a certain number of people believed people with blue eyes and blond hair were a superior race, destined to dominion the world. Gender inequality works in a similar fashion. In patriarchal societies and systems, men have been claiming for centuries that women are junior to them. By nature.
The truth behind this propaganda is that some people just love to continue their power and they invent these user-friendly dichotomies. In that location is zippo natural almost it. This is all made-upward, socially constructed, conveniently practiced, and nurtured. We are being fed with these constructs every twenty-four hours. Through books, movies, stories, norms, and media. We live and exhale it. And nosotros offset to believe this nonsense.
It's not just women
It works and then systematically that millions of women starve themselves to await sparse and pretty. Traits like aggression, ability, stubbornness, and even greed are glorified whereas empathy, care, and foresight are vilified. Men say they endeavour to carry all the burdens on their shoulders. To be 'manly' and 'strong' and that they suffer immensely when they do not meet those social expectations.
And because of these nonsensical stereotypes, uncountable numbers of women in many countries are going through horrors. From genital mutilation, malnutrition, sexual and domestic violence, online bullying, to everyday coincidental sexism.
We all suffer from these oppressive systems of injustice in our own means. But because they feed on differences and vulnerabilities, not all humans endure equally.
Systems of oppression are hierarchical and the higher up you are on the ladder the more than privilege you lot savor. A white rich European male person is highest on the ladder. A coloured, poor, woman from a low-income country stands can only await at the ladder and stands on the basis.
We all suffer from these oppressive systems of injustice in our own ways. Simply because they feed on differences and vulnerabilities, not all humans suffer every bit. These systems thrive on inequality. And in the end, sexism, racism, and structural poverty have the aforementioned root cause: organised inequality.
Equality is an attitude
Equality will never happen unless nosotros all believe that we are equal. Anybody tin be equal despite their differences – race, gender, sexuality, groundwork, mental and physical abilities. Differences practise not mean someone is better than someone else. Especially when criteria for comparisons are themselves highly biased, subjective, flawed, and purposefully manufactured.
There are still reasons for celebration
Despite centuries of oppression and impecuniousness, women are running fast and communicable up. They are showing that they can shine in a human being's world. The matter is, they don't demand a man'due south earth. We don't demand a man'southward globe. Nosotros demand a world. Where women do things their manner and grab the phase. With men equal to them. A place where all suffer less. And where some – more than deeply deprived and repressed than others – can heal more than others need to heal.
We are doing that. We are creating that world. High fives to the men who are lending a mitt. Cheers especially for poor women of colour, the everyman of the low in today's patriarchal and western hierarchy. Despite the violence, the brutalities, the burden of climatic change, and poverty, they continue on fighting for a better world. Better for all women and men.
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Source: https://www.cordaid.org/en/news/we-are-all-victims-of-a-patriarchal-society/
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