Gender biases

Male chauvinism

 “I have given the best of myself and the best work of my life to help obtain political freedom for women, knowing that upon this rests the hope not only for the freedom of men but of the onward civilization of the world” – Mary. S. Anthony.

“Did you ever feel gender discrimination in your professional life”? asked the anchor of a television show to one of the female participants. Superfluous question! Of course she did, but then every woman does. Isn’t it an axiom rather than an exception, happening everywhere and to all of us? A stark and recent example of sexism is Hina Rabani Khar, Foreign Minister from Pakistan, who visited India and was judged according to the clothes and bags she adorned, thereby belittling what she stood for intellectually. And there you have it, despite the emancipation of women in the West, there has not been a single woman President in the United States yet – what can be more telling! Sexism is a mindset that has the potential of affecting practically every aspect of women’s lives, preventing them from accomplishing their full potential.

 Picture this: As the plane reached cruising speed, the captain's voice crackled to welcome us aboard and give us details about the flight ahead. Almost immediately the guy next to me began to shift nervously in his seat. Not because we were being told of impending turbulence or being given giddy-making statistics about our altitude and speed. What unsettled him was the voice coming over the loud speaker. Our captain was a woman. With a female pilot at the helm, some immediately made comment about women drivers.  

Why do men get instant bruises in head the moment any woman tries to match her shoulders with them?  Why it takes the wind out of their sails as soon as they realise women are no more show pieces to adorn the world, but are walking neck to neck with them? Why they feel fathoms deep in troubled waters every time a smart woman comes near them?  As k them, and they deny it vehemently.

To gets a man’s perspective on this, I asked one male colleague, “Why are Kashmiri men such chauvinists.” His clichéd reply, “We are just more protective towards our women, not MCP’s”.

Protective! A place where the female to male ratio has hit the absolute pits, where every 1 in 4 women is a victim of domestic violence, where women are regarded as unfit when they are unable to bring forth male children -  I would hardly call that protective.   

While social constructionalists argue that men and women are essentially same and roles played by them are largely constructed by society, the essentialists suggest that the differences are biological. What ever the out come of the debate, the fact remains that in this patriarchal world, women get an inferior status.  Discriminations and biases are hidden by a veneer of non-existence in the more advanced countries. Conversely, lesser advanced a society, the more visible and obvious are the manifestations in which gender biases prevail and predominate.

. In a world full of male chauvinists, muscling your way is not easy. We as women face many a glitches, be it home or the work place. Albeit we walk with our head held high designating ourselves socially and culturally toned to 21st century but the reality isn’t parallel. Rousseau's observation that men are born free, yet everywhere they are in chains, is an apt description for condition of women in our society.

We are rich in allegories that dishonour women. So the question is how riveting are talks about liberation of women and equality for women today? Many people support the diaphanous talk that role of women within the society has changed, more women work than even before & most of them have careers. I call it diaphanous, because as far as I can see it is just talk – flimsy, airy and gossamer thin. Gender equality is still the toughest battle we are fighting and things will not change overnight. A thorough change in the mindset of people is the most required solution to give equal and respectable opportunity for women.  That being said, until this generation takes flight, for the womenfolk in God’s own country, it is still a long road to independence.

Dr. Rubina Lone is Assistant Professor, SKIMS Medical College.

Email: rubynask@gmail.com