The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day was “Step it up for gender equality”. In order to step it up, we need to step out by unfolding the scrap that we have tightly wrapped around our eyes. As we celebrated the Women’s Day, we are reminded that if we are prepared to oppose the age-old conventions of the society that judges people with prejudice; we need the courage to counteract even to the extent of offering our life.
It is said that charity begins at home. I say changes begin at home. If we want to step out of gender blindness, first we need to unfold the blindness in our home, particularly among the younger generation.
We need to nurture our children as feminists, particularly boys because this society is teaching boys how not to be a good man. The cine stars and social media make jokes on women that harm women and girls; but we tacitly agree and enjoy them. We should be rational in reproving them. Parents, help your children to understand that both man and woman are
created in the image of God. Don’t criticise or allow anyone to laugh at your boys by saying “don’t cry like girls”, when they cry. Tell them crying is not the assets of girls alone. It is human way of expressing happiness, distress, sorrow and so on. Teach your boys to read the histories of brave women who contributed to the freedom struggles. By doing so the society may ridicule you. But without such an effort, they are not visionaries; they are blindfolded by the age-old, good-for-nothing patriarchy.
Take up the challenge; have the courage to unfold the tightly-wrapped scrap from the eyes of your family members. “Step out Gender Blindness” to “Step it up for Gender Equality.” May the Parent God bless all of us!
(Rev Anupama Hial, a social activist and a research scholar, is a Pastor at Jeypore)