When you think about gender equality you might have a preconceived notion, that the west is far more liberal and forthcoming about women’s rights.
In that case, read why white women earn less than ethnic minorities? It will be an eye opener for people who think that women with light skin color have it easy, or are more empowered.
As we are gearing up to celebrate women’s day tomorrow, there are still major concerns to ponder over and fix many problems pertaining to gender equality.
What has gained prominence over the years, the fact that people are coming out now and at least talking about the glaring gender pay gap. It is not an accepted norm anymore. Women and very importantly men are acknowledging the unfair treatment meted out to women.
A friend of mine, whom I would like to keep anonymous here, got hitched to her long time boyfriend, 2 years back. Now that they are planning to settle abroad and leave the country for good. I opened up the topic of her future plans regarding her career. She was pretty clear about her priorities. A cushy suburban house among the Indian community, a super hardworking husband, and a part-time job for herself. She was not particularly interested in giving any direction to her career. Her exact words, “My husband can afford a comfortable life, so I don’t have to worry about a steady, secure job.”
This line says a lot about the prejudices we have in our minds about ourselves. This got me thinking, are we not burdening the man in this process by asking him to be the sole breadwinner of a family? Not lambasting her for the choices she made, but it does paint a very sorry picture.
This is just a context I have given here, which is just as real as the other situations we find ourselves in. Time to think about the choices we make and the impact it will create for our future generations.