The men it seems have decided to claim the women's movement for their own! The Hindu on Sunday, carried an article on the need for men in the women's movement. Now, this is not about progressive men including themselves in women's groups and feminist movements. This is about addressing men as a target audience for the feminist ideology.
Personally, I am ambivalent about the premise of the article. It states that there needs to be a specific, and concerted effort at including men in order to empower women. This is not a need to include men in women's groups - it is more an effort to educate men separately, convert more men to the empowerment ideology,so that there is "true gender equity".
While I agree that gender inequities cannot be addressed in isolation, it seems to me that its too presumptuous to cast men as "victims of patriarchy, as much as the women".I would be willing to be victimized indeed if it let me make the choices denied to half the planet, and let me abuse, subjugate and at the very least lead a better quality of life than half the human population.
The women's movement's first priority has to be women - men can come help, support and emancipate, but alongside us, not expecting to be treated any different, not expecting to be singled out for praise. Every human being, man or woman, who believes in equality and stakes their life on this belief, deserves thanks from the women's movement.
Every 7 minutes, a woman is raped in India - who's the victim here?! Its rather tough to go on about educating young boys and men on sex, gender and the need to treat a fellow human being with dignity, when you are in danger of being gang raped and worse! Education has done nothing to improve the behavior of men or the safety of women - every day the number of women who are in abusive marriages, without security, with children, with AIDS increases. And this is just the ones who have chosen to speak, out of desperation.
Believe me, I would love to have the boys of today, reared to be responsible men of tomorrow, but I would rather ensure enough girls get a chance to be born, reared and survive, till then. For the world would be drab, dreary, monotonous and lacking perspective without the woman to light it up.
Personally, I am ambivalent about the premise of the article. It states that there needs to be a specific, and concerted effort at including men in order to empower women. This is not a need to include men in women's groups - it is more an effort to educate men separately, convert more men to the empowerment ideology,so that there is "true gender equity".
While I agree that gender inequities cannot be addressed in isolation, it seems to me that its too presumptuous to cast men as "victims of patriarchy, as much as the women".I would be willing to be victimized indeed if it let me make the choices denied to half the planet, and let me abuse, subjugate and at the very least lead a better quality of life than half the human population.
The women's movement's first priority has to be women - men can come help, support and emancipate, but alongside us, not expecting to be treated any different, not expecting to be singled out for praise. Every human being, man or woman, who believes in equality and stakes their life on this belief, deserves thanks from the women's movement.
Every 7 minutes, a woman is raped in India - who's the victim here?! Its rather tough to go on about educating young boys and men on sex, gender and the need to treat a fellow human being with dignity, when you are in danger of being gang raped and worse! Education has done nothing to improve the behavior of men or the safety of women - every day the number of women who are in abusive marriages, without security, with children, with AIDS increases. And this is just the ones who have chosen to speak, out of desperation.
Believe me, I would love to have the boys of today, reared to be responsible men of tomorrow, but I would rather ensure enough girls get a chance to be born, reared and survive, till then. For the world would be drab, dreary, monotonous and lacking perspective without the woman to light it up.
1 comment:
Poverty has a woman's face. Global prosperity and peace will only be achieved once the entire world's people are empowered to order their own lives and provide for themselves and their families. Societies where women are more equal stand a much greater chance of achieving the Millennium Goals by 2015. Every single Goal is directly related to women's rights, and societies were women are not afforded equal rights as men can never achieve development in a sustainable manner.
I think its high time we all individually or collectively Stand Up and Take some action
Regarding this.
This will help all you people on this blog to do something along with the United Nations in your locality.
Check this
http://www.orkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=47234928
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