Written by Ruba Rummana Samanta
(Department of Women and Gender Studies, University of Dhaka)

Are you a feminist! Pointing out the discriminatory “system” often leads you to face the question, or should I say an exclamatory statement? It does not matter whether you are in a factual conversation rather you are being a feminist or not defines “you” and your perspective to a large bunch of people around you. Having said that, let’s come to the mighty question if I am a feminist or not. Yes, I am a feminist. For I believe, we need to work towards a fixed goal of gender emancipation. And if you, my friend, at any point of your logical reasoning growth, believed that only yielding to male centric system would stagnate development, are a feminist.

Gender Equality

Gender equality, a belief, which is yet to achieve, simply refers to the equality between male and female in our society. The rights a human should enjoy must be irrespective of one’s gender identity. Initiating with the dichotomous explanation, we are at such a stage of this belief where rainbow gender is also included in the process while addressing diversity. Education, career opportunities, decision making, sexuality, etc. rights ought to be for all not another subject matter of patriarchal bias.

Equality to Feminism

The emergence of feminism is quite later compared to the existence of belief in gender equality. The consciousness of people leads them to focus on how a society can be run smoothly because half of its population is lagging. These “people” in the long run initiate the change which after struggle of years took dynamic shape under an umbrella of feminism. Feminists’ core belief is to ensure gender emancipation. And this goes without saying that equality is one of their top priorities. The existing genres of feminism work to find out the causes, effects and probable solutions to the practice of inequality from an array of diverse dynamics.

What does equality mean?

If a boy child is getting educated, the girl of that family must also be educated as education is not only for male. The Opinions of female members hold equal importance to that of the

breadwinner of the family i.e. male. Working outside home and not being okay with unpaid care work at home should not be criticized rather job opportunities should be equal despite gender identity. If a girl must be disciplined in the family, so does the boy. For a specific gender identity, engaging one in something strict and letting the other go in the name of schooling should not be it. Girls prepared to be docile with parenting is worst not for family but the society in the long run. The dichotomy of male and female should not define who can or cannot do what. All are equal no matter what they are, who they are, where they are from. Nobel laureate Amartya Sen identifies seven levels of inequalities. Initiating with the very existence of women in mother’s womb, women face unequal attitudes till death which includes mortality to household inequality.

Patriarchy a Mind Game

A society where equality is ensured is sure to be a better society than one where patriarchy dominates with all the ill-motives. But who wants to let go of the power they behold? Inequality is one of three aspects of patriarchal prism along with poverty and subordination. In a patriarchal society, it is next to impossible to engage everyone in the practice of equality only with talking. So, activism is an important aspect to make society a better place. Traditionally in our society, women are domesticated. The public private dichotomy led to fixating women and men in specific domains, and it gave rise to a sense of power among the male as the economically independent one. Female members being dependent on male have no edge to work for their demands. Male on this ground exercise power and dominate women leading to an unequal relationship in the family. All these power struggles are a mind game where women lose terribly as they were taught to be the submissive one from birth. So, initiating with birth till death women are stuck in the vicious cycle.

Inequality in Fields

Inequality has been in practice for a while which makes the discrimination quite open. Government allocated funding cannot be claimed by women as the ownership is most likely on the male members name even when they cultivate in those lands all around the year. Fewer career options of women and restricted mobility of women increases their distress in case of environmental degradation. In Sub-Saharan Africa in each region’s male-female comparison

shows that females spend more than double time that of male in domestic work which decreases their time for productive work.

An open practice of inequality is well observed all around the world. For instance,

• Only 39% of rural girls attend secondary school, which for boys is 45%.
• In Pakistan, 20% of girls will stop their enrollment with a half a mile increase in distance of school and home.
• 48% of rural women are illiterate whereas for male the figure is only 14%, in Cambodia.
• Among the 796 billion illiterate population, women are almost 2/3^rd of it.
• 60% of the chronically hungry population are female.
• Women in rural areas had to settle for low wage, part time or seasonal jobs receiving lower wage for their gender identity.
• Women work 17.4 hours and 14 hours more than men in Benin and Tanzania respectively.
• As chair only 0.2% women participate in Bangladesh and 7% in Cambodia.
• Less women are elected in most rural councils which includes 1.6% and 31% respectively in SriLankan and Pakistan respectively.
• Less than 20% of the world land ownership belongs to women where the engagement of women in agriculture is far more.

Preview of History

Is it always like this? History differs. The very primitive society was found to be egalitarian where women and men coexist without dominating one another. From Engels historic defeat of women, we find a clear perspective on how the feudal and later capitalistic society engaged in making women lose their equal contribution and be the dependent one of the family. Patriarchy came into existence with these practices which ruined the perfect balance. Doesn’t that make you wonder if we actually evolved to be “civilized” as we claim? If a society termed “uncivilized” had better society management and respect for all, should we not second guess our growth to nowhere?

Is equality a solution?

No, as a Women and Gender Studies major, I do not feel establishing equality would solve everything. Women would still suffer from the tightened grip of a long practice. Equality is controversial in practice as the demands of different gender identity are not always the same. For the obvious physical, mental, and spiritual differences, identities have different needs which need to be addressed with special focus. In this case the concept of equality isn’t a viable option. But for a society starting from the very beginning, it is important to understand the positive aspects of equality. The practice of equality might not give solutions to all the aspects, but it does increase the opportunities for women. A society where women perform the secondary role it is very important to address the existent inequality. Similar cases where women’s condition improved for focusing on the discrepancies are

• Women constituting 43% of agricultural labor, if engaged in production-based work would raise yields by 20%-30% making the agricultural growth heighten by 2.5% to 4%. This would decrease the hunger rate by 12%-17%.
• 10%-20% of girls’ wage increase with one year increase in primary education which minimizes their early marriage, child conception.
• Elected officials in parliamentary or district bodies have more authority at home in decision-making.

Equity over Equality

As not always equality succeeds, that is where “equity” steps up its dynamics. The proper initiative to ensure rights for all keeping their own personal needs upfront is equity. In a society where equity is ensured, everybody might not get the same thing to be equal, rather their desire would get priority. Unquestionably better growth and development would be observed.

But as it is obvious one can never learn to write an essay unless they know the alphabet, it’s always one step at a time. For a society like ours it is essential to understand the essence of both equity and equality before jumping to what we might be more flexible with.

What is the UN doing?

Gender equality is a global issue hence it is a matter of concern for the UN bodies. UNICEF, UN Women, UNDP are organizations working aiming to improve the status of women and children. The new gender policy (2021- 2030) of UNICEF articulates the visions of gender equality and practice globally. To attain a future oriented change of women and children, the Gender Action Plan (2022- 2025) charts UNICEF’s way ahead. In South Asia, UNICEF ROSA works to change stereotypes preventing girls’ fundamental rights with a gender transformative approach.

Even though initiatives are in progress a greater mass must be connected to the changes as inequality initiates at home and no UN body can change inside activities unless the people change. Are we ready for the change? Is a “man” ready to work under a woman’s leadership? Or being a female are we ready to trust ourselves with challenging responsibilities? Only time can tell.

References

1. Nazmunnessa Mahtab (2012). Women, gender and development : contemporary issues. Dhaka: A.H. Development Pub. House ; Kolkata.
2.    Conrad Phillip Kottak (2019). Cultural anthropology : appreciating cultural diversity. New York: Mcgraw-Hill.
3.       www.unicef.org.      (n.d.).      Gender      equality.      [online]      Available                 at: https://www.unicef.org/rosa/what-we-do/gender-equality?fbclid=IwAR3oLfydbmzpq xzSskpckR6fLnaIOp6fmLbPJo6d9lAIPXzFYxJrPkNCmA4 [Accessed 9 Jan. 2023].
4.    UN Women – Headquarters. (n.d.). Facts & Figures. [online] Available at: https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/commission-on-the-status-of-women-20 12/facts-and-figures?fbclid=IwAR3bMQz2TMMGZBmPSQORlLjljdZIu159VysrA4 726BNBhJ5Td9y_ueuD78g [Accessed 9 Jan. 2023].
5.   www.unicef.org. (n.d.). Gender Action Plan, 2022-2025. [online] Available at: https://www.unicef.org/gender-equality/gender-action-plan-2022-2025?fbclid=IwAR1 lN-9NCT64PxETHqgskOhlj97iQnOK2UVCeUufJTNvp_dEypnFhzJydDc [Accessed 9 Jan. 2023].