2020. That’s the year isn’t it? We live in this big, modern and technologically advanced world, everything is at your fingertips, it’s brilliant! Still feels like we haven’t evolved in terms of humanity though. So there’s definitely something wrong here right? Turn on the news and you see a ridiculous amount of reports of atrocities against women. Read the newspaper, and you see the same. Turn on the radio, same again. Now we do love to take the mick out of journalists and the media for showing us news that is not necessarily ‘news worthy’ don’t we? C’mon I know you do too! But when you find such amounts of news revolving around a similar subject, there has to be some sort of foundation to it. The fact that this is a delicate topic to talk about should trigger something in our minds, shouldn’t it? People need to spread awareness. We need to work towards a more equal society. It all starts from within.
Gender inequality is a very huge issue. Be it in a little village in rural India or in the glamourous world of international golf or tennis. In sport, in general, women earn nowhere near the amount of money that their male counterparts earn. Now there is no way anybody can justify this! Because if they do, then they are basically saying that men deserve MORE & BETTER than women, which is complete and utter rubbish! Everyone performs to the best of their abilities, and women are as good as men!
Now, I relate most to sports, I love it! And so do many others, a lot of whom are women. Unequal pay is just one of the problems that women face in the world of sport, to get to a level where they are able to support themselves and the people around them is quite a taxing one. Right from the off it’s a struggle to convince the people closest to you that sport is a viable option to make a career out of. It is a struggle to prove that you are “good enough”. There will be many moments that feel just too harsh and it’ll feel like it’s a mountain too high, this is when will power comes to the rescue! Women, more so than men, have to make a LOT of sacrifices. To achieve their goal quite a lot has to be “given up” on, which is why it is even more special when a woman makes it to the top. This applies to other fields like politics as well.
The government and leading organizations around must take steps towards a better and more equal society. Maybe start off by promoting education and other activities such as sports and writing. The people need to be educated and encouraged. More schools should be built, with better facilities. Children should be given good exposure. The schools need not teach just bookish lessons, there’s so much more to learn.
There are many women who are pressured to quit their jobs and marry and ‘settle down’. It’s good that women are working! Women need to be encouraged to work and to attain their goals. They are making something of themselves, who says a woman cannot run a family and be the breadwinner?!
Even in the different industries other than sports, the organisations should do more, the pay packages differ greatly when it comes to men and women, the rate at which they progress in their career is also affected. Programs, drives and seminars should be conducted to make more people aware about this issue.
Women are natural leaders, it’s just that we may not be able to see it in plain sight. We need to start recognising this. The women in your life will act as the all reliable lantern to guide you through the dark tunnel. You may curse it for flickering a bit, but it still doesn’t go off, does it? It stays by you right to the very end.
If you think about it, YOUR whole world revolves around women. Be it your partner, mother, nanny etc, women play a crucial part in OUR lives. No WOMEN, no LIFE! Your heart AND mind will both agree to the previous statement. It is both philosophical and scientific, the two go hand in hand.
Women are the fuel that keeps the engine of the world running, no fuel = no road trips right?! For example, I can NEVER relate to what mom goes through, it’s the same the other way round, BUT she will never fail to stick by me when I do go through rough times. A lot of time she is the reason that I stay strong, I HAVE TO, it’s the way she brought me up and nurtured me. And a lot of you will relate to this, I’m sure of it. So make an effort to let your partner or mom know that you LOVE and RESPECT them.
Unfortunately, there are quite a few women on Earth who do not get the love and respect that they truly deserve. Exploitation and abuse is rampant throughout, that is a sad yet true fact. But there is always a solution to EVERY problem, no matter how “small” or “big”.
The world has a problem, it’s a villain of some sort isn’t it? We’ve all watched enough films to know that when evil is attempting to rip apart the universe, a hero shall stand up against it. We know what the villain is, now it’s time for the heroes to rise.
And do not go about searching for this hero, just walk up to a mirror, and LOOK.
(This article was first published in 2016. After minor edits, it is being republished because of its relevance today)
Nothing has changed, in many countries over the world women in the same jobs earn less. In many countries men use violence against women, the same men who say that they respect their mother. Who says that men cannot run the family and their jobs, of course men. Who can embrace more children than one. Who can caress, empower, feed them and all at the same time. Women. Who us as sift as silk and as strong as a rick. Women. Whi gives birth to those who cannot respect women. Men. Wo believes that women are raped because they ask for it. Mostly men. Who does not admit when they are raped. Men raped by another man. Maybe just maybe when men disclose that they get raped and unwanted, maybe then education can start.