There is a famous saying- “Women’s rights are human rights.” It means women are entitled to all these rights- the right to live free from violence, slavery, and discrimination; to be educated; to own property, and not just to vote but also to earn a fair and equal wage. However, almost everywhere in the world, females, whether women or girls, are denied most of these rights because of their gender. Though things are changing, the struggle continues. It is time to reflect on how women still have to struggle for full freedom in the fast-changing modern world & what we should do about it.
In this blog, we are talking about basic women’s rights and how much of the struggle a woman faces in her daily life, even after thousands of years of evolution of humankind. We will discuss why women’s rights differ from collective human rights and why women are treated differently and not the same as other human beings, i.e., men. We never heard of a term called “Men’s rights.” Why is it so??
When we study women’s roles and contributions in ancient history, we usually find minimal evidence of women taking part in war, politics, diplomacy, and administrative work. History is written by men, and women are usually excluded; when mentioned, they are usually portrayed in sex stereotypical roles such as wives, mothers, daughters, and mistresses. Women have created history in the war field, science, astrology, and inventions, yet their achievements are seen as inferior to what men did.
Even in the 21st century, we don’t have equal opportunities, and the mentality to see women as superior or equal to men in any role is missing. The credit must be given appropriately where it is due. We are expected to be good daughters, girlfriends, wives, and mothers. To get married, take care of kids and family members, and do daily chores. I am not saying all these are easy tasks, but being forced to be limited to these tasks is slavery. Society should understand that we are more than these roles.
Here are some of the struggles that a woman faces in this modern world every day:
We need to fight to see the world even when we are in our mother’s womb.
Being a daughter in Indian society is not the same as being a son; some families’ struggles of being a woman in India start early – as early as before birth. Incidents like female crimes, female infanticide, and gender-based abortion are rising.
Even when the girl child somehow sees the world in such cases, her gender becomes the factor that holds her back from being loved or respected as an individual. She is seen as a liability to the house for whom a hefty dowry will need to be given years later in her life at the time of her marriage. When will this sick mentality come to an end?
We are not allowed to be opinionated, and marriage should be the ultimate objective.
Even when a girl gets the freedom to pursue her dream career, go outside, and spend time with friends, there is always someone around who judges her. Why should we have to fight back, or show that we agree with some opinion even if we don’t, just to live our own life?
No matter how best we raise our daughter without discrimination, we cannot protect her from gender bias still ingrained in our society. The fate of women in society is decided and has a set life plan, i.e., to have children and look after another household.
Many young girls give up their studies and leave jobs they liked only to be tied to holy matrimony. And if the marriage doesn’t work, they don’t even seem to have a choice but to quit the physical and mental abuse. Divorce is a fundamental right that a woman can opt for without being judged and should decide for her life. It should not be seen as taboo.
We cannot choose between a career and motherhood on our own.
It’s a great happiness to be a mother; instead, I would say to be parents. Parenthood is not a job for one person; both parents should equally take part in it. But why is a woman expected to leave her career after being a mother? She should be allowed full freedom to take that decision herself. She knows the best choice for her and her baby, depending on the situation and circumstances around her.
And when she is willing to start her career back, hundreds of questions are raised- who will take care of the baby? Are you so self-centered?
Finally, even if you decide to give up on your career and take care of your home, you will never be appreciated because your husband is the one who earns the livelihood; even after sacrificing for everyone, your work will always be seen as inferior.
When discussing workplace discrimination, women are seen as weaker and usually given a repeated job profile. They are generally not included in decision-making for the organization and are not offered promotions and raises even after putting up equal or more efficient work than males.
Not safe anywhere
When we talk about physical safety, you are not safe anywhere until you stand for yourself. You’re more likely than not to meet eve-teasers on the road, get catcalls from men in the Metro, be molested in the company cab, and ultimately be told it’s all your fault because you wore such clothes and spent time in the company of men. It is how society judges a woman based on her clothes and her living choice. When will these things completely stop?
Despite all these discriminations, some women have fought for their dreams and achieved them; we all have them as role models- our mothers, teacher, doctors, officers, and other inspiring women in many more roles.
We have to fight for ourselves as individuals and forget that women’s rights deserve equal human rights, which is more than enough for us. Before asking your daughters not to leave the house after seven, ask your son to behave. Before deciding on her life- career, marriage, passion ask her what she wants to achieve and what her objective is, as you ask your boys. For me, this is a fundamental human right, and this is how we must treat our next generation to grow and make this world a pleasant and safe place to live for every individual.
We hope the above points made you reflect on how most women still have to struggle for full freedom in the modern world. There are definitely more struggles that can be added to the list! Let us know your struggle as an individual in the comments section, and tell us what can be done to ease or altogether remove the battle! Let us pledge to change the world into a better place for living!
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Author Profile
- Sofia Ali is an analyst by profession who has a love for creativity and enjoys writing on different topics such as engineering, science, history, self-help, healthcare, and much more. Believes strongly in the law of attraction and wants to create a difference in this world with her thoughts.
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