Soon it will be three years since the iconic and moving speech by Emma Watson on Gender Equality in UN. The term HeForShe was coined to make men and boys advocates for change and to end the idea that feminism is synonymous to man-hating.
Men think that gender inequality doesn't effect them, but we can't be more wrong. Gender equality is our issue too. A father's role as a parent is valued less by society despite the child needing his presence as much as their mother's, men suffering from mental illness are unable to ask for help for fear that it would make them seem less of a man....in fact boys from early age are forced to bottle up their emotions and feelings which leads to an imbalanced mental growth, mental health is as important as physical health. If a man cries, he is labeled as feminine and teased and laughed on. I want to ask, why is it wrong for men to cry, after all God provided men with tear ducts same as women. Being able to express yourself, being passionate, being emotional, it's what makes you human, it's not what makes you a girl.
What does gender equality entails? Well, it doesn't constitutes man-hating or putting women before us. It simply means to treat them as our equals, nothing more and nothing else. Women just want to be included, and this starts at the root level, why are kids taught that boys and girls need to play separately, why is a boy playing with group of girls and vice versa treated as something wrong? This behavior grows as the kids grow, growing roots deep in their hearts and minds, and when a woman joins their team at workplace, their mind cannot comprehend that girls can be equal part of team and work together, because since childhood they were told that boys and girls don't work/play together.
As they say, there's only so much you can do for someone who doesn't want help. For women, it's feeling confident enough to acknowledge that there is actually a problem. It's just not enough to ask men to support, you need to support each other. Women need to stop being complacent, stop thinking it is alright, because it is not! For instance, it is not alright to leave your job just because your husband got better opportunity in another city, why should you be complacent, would your husband do the same when you get a better opportunity elsewhere, why shouldn't he? Mother-in-law shouldn't force their daughter-in-law's to leave their jobs to take care of family, instead teach their son to #ShareTheLoad. Mothers should not ask their daughters to stay at home so that they may send their sons to better schools, instead send them both to average school and give your daughter a fair chance in life. Girls, you can't let anyone tell you what you can or cannot do or can or cannot achieve, be whatever you want to be.
So, what can we do? You do not need to feel intimidated, you don't need to come up with some huge scheme, it's not as complicated or intimidating as that. It's everyday, it's individual, it's on a case by case basis taking action, just doing something. It's as simple as speaking up, trying to change someone thinks about the issue.
We shouldn't think that this movement is about men saving women, its about men coming in support of women and women coming in support of men. As Gloria Steinem said that, the human race is like a bird and it needs both of it's wings to be able to fly, and the moment one of it's wings is clipped, we are never gonna be to fly as high unless we both are support of each other.
Ask yourself, If not me, then who? If not now, then When?
So, go to the website and make your commitment at www.heforshe.org
stormborns
blakekathryn
kianamaiart
andulkaphoto
gracieabrams