Before i start this topic of mine, i would like to ascertain some stuff, though i will try my best to objectively view the situation at hand there are times, i may tend to get subjective sometimes unconsciously purely owing to the fact that i belong to the so called "fairer" sex (though i wonder often why and how such a term was phrased). Readers may kindly point it out to me as may be the case.
Past few months, I somehow seem to have hit on this topic somehow or the other when talking to friends, colleagues, batchmates and even people from the yester generations as well and amazing as it would seem to most, i was on the listening side often with me just absorbing those said and analysing them as much as my brain would permit me to. :P
Past few months, I somehow seem to have hit on this topic somehow or the other when talking to friends, colleagues, batchmates and even people from the yester generations as well and amazing as it would seem to most, i was on the listening side often with me just absorbing those said and analysing them as much as my brain would permit me to. :P
A gentle man from my office had questioned me as to why an "International Women's Day" existed when there was no such day for men... Nowadays if i dare mention the word "feminist", there is as much a reaction as the infamous "Sulphuric Acid and water" Combo would have, that i am rather careful paraphrasing myself that way.
Some of them cited several reasons for the same, and it was really not because all of them were male chauvinists, but normal men who felt that justice and equanimity must be the higher goal rather than "feminism".They show me the several excuses women make up for not having done their job, the excuse getting as lame as "My hand is paining, hence i can't fuel properly" for a girl working at a petroleum pump, getting a lot of advantages in terms of not getting transfered etc.
At this juncture , i am trying to unravel some of my findings along the way as i try to start at the root of the word, exploring this whole area of history that i wasn't very well aware of previously!!
Feminism grew from the western world with a far more reaching effect that our own Rajaram Mohan Roy, but just as any human undertaking deviates with time from the original purpose, just as neither Christ, nor Buddha nor any of the world's greatest people ever sought to create a different sect, they rather tried to correct the inconsistencies in the generation they were present in, feminism too has started to be misused in some ways, I feel.
Coming to my own life, The feministic attitude I possess since i don't know when, as young as 3rd standard where i used to argue with my grandmother on some views, and with my friends in school, some of whom just had to pick a fight with me saying just how men are greater. That was just immaturity and wanting to have a fun fight i later realised. Years later, i had some more friends in college who made of fun of the curfew more often than not , and I realised how they felt secure in the fact that they'd never have to endure it even once in their life, though not consciously. There were a certain other factors they claimed to aid us, which was true, there were certain "benefits" so to say, we got in exchange for our freedom. Funny thing, if men misused their freedom, it was considered alright, but if women did, it was looked upon as degradation of culture, when both meant the same thing.
Anyway with all this in mind, I have always sought to protect, to fight for women, be it my friend's mom, my cousin sister, or anyone i barely knew... But this whole other face of women i got to know was when i went to work and had two colleagues accompany me to my several trainings sessions that i have had in the past year. Women, who are emotional at the touch of a finger (not literally, figuratively), women who are so happily dependant on men for every step along her path!
If you know me, you'd know how hard core a feminist I was , for I did not allow for gentlemanly courtesies, asking men to carry my baggage nor do anything for me just because i was a girl and my friends and anyone who's be around me would know that just too well. This is what I have always felt that was indeed the true nature of feminism, but i seem to find more and more women, perceiving reservations for any and every place, seek to be aided and helped where it seemed men have more strength. If women themselves perceive so, why not men?!!
That being said, there are two kinds of strength, physical and mental. Nature has always balance in it and it's balance portrayed through the Physical Strength of men and Emotional Strength of women ( This is a fact, survey of several men and women was taken for EQ and found the average of women greater than that of men) This may possibly be owing to the factor, most women emote more than men do, thereby having lighter hearts to deal with at the end of the day. There was a time when i thought that women should have never stayed at home... But one of my friends once told he'd like his future wife to stay at home and have the kinda work-life balance as his parents did, i scolded him for his idea back then, but now i realise what it is to be that way. Women of yester years stayed at home, to deal with as many issues as men did in office, but over time men began to dominate and think they were indeed the breadwinner not realising the importance of a secure woman at home to take care of his everyday needs, which was probably the first and foremost reason women even began to feel the pinch and bother to step out of her comfort zone and make her entry into the business forays.
Women, today, especially those who are educated and knowing their way about life, should realise there are still major injustices happening, about 27% of rapes in India alone are those of girls less than 16years old... Out of which a shocking 13% is those of kids below age of ten! How men can even think of doing this act on a kid is way beyond my imagination, but inequality in every sense of the word exists strongly in the world. For those who'd argue that women have made it to the top today-
Quotes from:
http://www.cxo.eu.com/news/highest-paid-female-ceos-in-america/
In Germany, women in Europe's largest economy on average earn 23.2 percent less than men. Yet Germany isn't alone in the equality issues, despite women making up almost 40 percent of the global workforce, the number of female CEO's across most industries remains low. Deutsche Telelekom, one of the country's biggest companies unveiled plans to fast-track more women into management roles in the company. By 2015, the company want 30 percent of its middle and upper management positions to be filled by women - the first gender quota to be implemented at one of Germany's top 30 DAX-listed companies.
http://money.cnn.com/2006/10/03/news/newsmakers/mpwpay/index.htm
Read the article:
I find all this amazing! At the top of the corporate structure, these women have fought it tooth and nail to survive and be the fittest there is... Yet the discrimination...Feminism grew from the western world with a far more reaching effect that our own Rajaram Mohan Roy, but just as any human undertaking deviates with time from the original purpose, just as neither Christ, nor Buddha nor any of the world's greatest people ever sought to create a different sect, they rather tried to correct the inconsistencies in the generation they were present in, feminism too has started to be misused in some ways, I feel.
Coming to my own life, The feministic attitude I possess since i don't know when, as young as 3rd standard where i used to argue with my grandmother on some views, and with my friends in school, some of whom just had to pick a fight with me saying just how men are greater. That was just immaturity and wanting to have a fun fight i later realised. Years later, i had some more friends in college who made of fun of the curfew more often than not , and I realised how they felt secure in the fact that they'd never have to endure it even once in their life, though not consciously. There were a certain other factors they claimed to aid us, which was true, there were certain "benefits" so to say, we got in exchange for our freedom. Funny thing, if men misused their freedom, it was considered alright, but if women did, it was looked upon as degradation of culture, when both meant the same thing.
Anyway with all this in mind, I have always sought to protect, to fight for women, be it my friend's mom, my cousin sister, or anyone i barely knew... But this whole other face of women i got to know was when i went to work and had two colleagues accompany me to my several trainings sessions that i have had in the past year. Women, who are emotional at the touch of a finger (not literally, figuratively), women who are so happily dependant on men for every step along her path!
If you know me, you'd know how hard core a feminist I was , for I did not allow for gentlemanly courtesies, asking men to carry my baggage nor do anything for me just because i was a girl and my friends and anyone who's be around me would know that just too well. This is what I have always felt that was indeed the true nature of feminism, but i seem to find more and more women, perceiving reservations for any and every place, seek to be aided and helped where it seemed men have more strength. If women themselves perceive so, why not men?!!
That being said, there are two kinds of strength, physical and mental. Nature has always balance in it and it's balance portrayed through the Physical Strength of men and Emotional Strength of women ( This is a fact, survey of several men and women was taken for EQ and found the average of women greater than that of men) This may possibly be owing to the factor, most women emote more than men do, thereby having lighter hearts to deal with at the end of the day. There was a time when i thought that women should have never stayed at home... But one of my friends once told he'd like his future wife to stay at home and have the kinda work-life balance as his parents did, i scolded him for his idea back then, but now i realise what it is to be that way. Women of yester years stayed at home, to deal with as many issues as men did in office, but over time men began to dominate and think they were indeed the breadwinner not realising the importance of a secure woman at home to take care of his everyday needs, which was probably the first and foremost reason women even began to feel the pinch and bother to step out of her comfort zone and make her entry into the business forays.
Women, today, especially those who are educated and knowing their way about life, should realise there are still major injustices happening, about 27% of rapes in India alone are those of girls less than 16years old... Out of which a shocking 13% is those of kids below age of ten! How men can even think of doing this act on a kid is way beyond my imagination, but inequality in every sense of the word exists strongly in the world. For those who'd argue that women have made it to the top today-
There once was a time in American history when the thought of women working for complex, multi-national technology companies, giant advertising firms, and massive publishing houses was snickered at behind closed boardroom doors.
Today, women are running those companies—from some of those very same boardrooms.
But although women make up over half of America's labor force, as of 2009, only 12 Fortune 500 companies and 25 Fortune 1000 companies have women CEOs or presidents.
Catalyst, the not-for-profit New York-based women's research organization, points out that its data shows a change over the last ten years. In 1998, 11.2% of corporate officers in Fortune 500 companies were women. This percentage rose to a peak of 16.4% by 2005, but has since fallen and in 2008 it rested at 15.7%. While this is progress, Catalyst notes that, at this rate, it would take 40 years for the number of female corporate officers to match the number of male officers.
For the few women who have reached the highest ranks, they'd prefer not to talk about their gender. To them it's no longer an issue. Their accomplishments represent significant milestones—not just for women in business—but for women all over the world making career choices.
Quotes from:
http://www.cxo.eu.com/news/highest-paid-female-ceos-in-america/
In Germany, women in Europe's largest economy on average earn 23.2 percent less than men. Yet Germany isn't alone in the equality issues, despite women making up almost 40 percent of the global workforce, the number of female CEO's across most industries remains low. Deutsche Telelekom, one of the country's biggest companies unveiled plans to fast-track more women into management roles in the company. By 2015, the company want 30 percent of its middle and upper management positions to be filled by women - the first gender quota to be implemented at one of Germany's top 30 DAX-listed companies.
So in Germany women are still facing a struggle, now what about America? In America, some of the most well known companies - the likes of Kraft Foods, Avon Products and PepsiCo have a woman at their helm, yet still, women account for only three percent of the chief executives at the helm of the 500 biggest US companies - that's only 15 female chief executives from a handful of industries including food, insurance and energy, Forbes report. So does this three percent of women have their pay matched to men?
http://money.cnn.com/2006/10/03/news/newsmakers/mpwpay/index.htm
Read the article:
10 Best-paid executives: They're all men
And they're making about 2 to 3 times what the 10 top-earning women executives do.
Women should not ask for leavages their way in terms of toughness of job, as no excuses can be given in the job. Your job quality ( that displays your character) is as equally important as your family if you are going to work. Men must not become soft on women because they are women in terms of quality of the job as they often do. Both men and women need support and encouragement to climb up their ladders and decisions to take if they need to push that ladder higher up. The reason you find just so few women at the top is not because they are not capable but that they value something more than just position and money in their lives. Respect that for what she is. Men and women need to work hand in hand if this inequality is to change, a attitude shift majorly needed at this hour! ( I don't mean now exactly :P)
Women, please realize and wake up there is more to it, than jump for the success in 33% reservation. And men, just don't generalise all feminists, there are a lot more out there wanting to show exactly what they mean by equality by living their lives. And the change is for you all to see.
8 comments:
Good one :) Even I learnt a lot of these things when I was preparing for the essay :) Awesome effort :) I wanted to point out that what many men "think" is feminism is actually our struggle to equal them in terms of opportunities we get.
Nice post with lots of data to substantiate ur view :) Bravo.
However, more than the pay or office harassment, I can understand ur view that all a dignified woman expects is 'respect' from men but not their 'sympathy'. Looking forward to ur future posts!!
On a side note, 'Sati', the lead lady of 'Immortals of Meluha' , is very similar to your ideals in the post. Her dignity and courage feel insulted when she is guarded in an attack. Her courage, bravery and dignified approach even to the unfair practices in the society, command respect in the society, but unfortunately deprived of in the name of diplomacy and courteousness. I was thinking abt u when I read the book.
Thanks Archu and Vicky :) Exactly the points i tried to put across...
As you said in the article,archu, taking care of family by the male must not be conceived as escapism from work... All these factors are also part of feminism, i guess the word itself is what promotes negative feelings towards it, somehow favouring women over men.
Thanks vicky for exactly understanding what i put across :)
Man and woman are born equal, and are meant to complement each other, not submit one under the power of the other. Unfortunately, the society, Indian society specifically, has been anything but that.
I do remember an instance when you offered and did carry one of my baggage out of a crowded bus, which is a mere little example to show that you were not someone who would wait for someone else to help you out, but rather you would help others, even if the help be physical. It's not just you, there are many women who feel and act this way.
Men should bragging about a help which was initially offered by them. When someone offers to help, it shows caring attitude...but when one starts bragging about it and stereotyping everybody based on that, I think it goes a little bit too far than what is needed.
Women should forget the "33%" quoted... the percentage is more like a cap, like a limitation. If men and women are to be equal, why quote 33% ? Why not 50%? If one talks about trying to offer women higher share, one must start with education. In many rural areas, girls don't get education. Their grandparents and parents feed them the age old theory that girls are meant stay at home and serve their husband. Why? There is a whole world out there, open it for her. Just saying "well, ladies, 33%, all yours" isn't going to fetch anything...
@Archana - Feminists aren't only females. Even some men want to empower the women. And those people don't phrase feminism as a struggle to reach equality. Really, it's not that much a women's fault, as it is men's. Women have been good, and women have been improving... But some men just don't accept that. And they paint the larger picture that the fairer sex are the weaker sex.
I bet a woman can do what a man can, and I also believe it is not a man who should decide what a women can/cannot.
Women need to learn to lose their vulnerability and break-even through the emotions and ambitions.
we give into love and emotions quicker. They become our top priority (fortunately or unfortunately). A good family wouldnt exist if women shifted from these core values.
Have u ever heard a woman saying "I am awesome"?! but compare the number of men who say this every fucking day!
The more successful a woman becomes the less she is liked. But the more successful a man is, more are the number of his fans. Are these genetic problems?! or is this how the mental growth was seeded?
http://blog.ted.com/2010/12/21/why-we-have-too-few-women-leaders-sheryl-sandberg-on-ted-com/
I think women can hold on to those values, and continue to be successful. In the so called "male dominated world", the near-equal success of a woman is under-rated by males, either because of ego or otherwise.
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