I was inspired by Emma Watson's speech about feminism and gender equality. A real epitome of beauty and brains, a woman with substance. Well, everyone has seen her video delivering speech in the UN about the latest movement for gender equality.
I support #HeForShe. I may not be someone who is adored by many like Emma or as famous as she but I know little things help. Her line "If not me, who? If not now, when?" were the same words resonates in me in her speech. Well, I was thought in school about history and that includes how women were treated in years. How their rights were marginalized and oppressed.
Women are perceived emotional that's why they are believed to be weak but they're not. Women's rights are measured because they are women which is not supposed to be happening. Each one of us has our own limits and capabilities and we shouldn't be measured by the things we're not bound to do because of our gender, it's true "we should define our selves by who we are."
Feminism doesn't just talk about women alone. It also include men's liberation because they are affected too by gender roles. My dad can also do laundry, buy tampons, cook meal, tie my hair and paint my nails which are 'naturally' done by women. And being a man doesn't make him lesser a parent. Men should also be free to cry when they had break ups without thinking that they may look weaker. As well as women should be free to run in a higher public office without being judged by her sentiment.
Women should be paid as much as men, and men shouldn't feel bad about it. I remember issues like this on married couple, "who earns more and who earns less" and the "a man should always earn more in a family for if he earns less that will degrade his function" which is not right.
Margaret Tatcher have made an extraordinary history written in United Kingdom and her gender doesn't affect the situation. Women should be given the fair right to influence people as well as men does. Women shouldn't just be perceived by their essence of giving birth and becoming a mother. Women should also see their worth and selves beyond that. They can see their selves as a mother in the armed forces or a daughter in the navy. I was also struck by the idea that only a boy can live up to a family name forever. That's also one sign of gender inequality. That if a woman marries she cannot live by the family name forever because she has to acquire her husband's. Or if you are a girl, you are more protected rather that your boy sibling because there's something that should be protected in you. Sons should be treated the same cause they also lose virginity in the essence. Both men and women should have the right to decide for them selves and given fair circumstances.
Men and women have different coping mechanisms and they should be given the right to use it freely. Rape cases now a days are very high in the Philippines and most victims are women. Their physical strength was abused as well as their emotional and natural rights. Women should be free to wear what they wish without worrying not to be respected. Why can't we start seeing our perceived weakness as a strength? Maybe by then equality can be achieved.
In a speech delivered by Sojourner Truth, "Ain't I a Woman?" that was about women having limited rights because of men's flawed perception about women. She argued that if women can perform tasks that was limited only to men then any woman can do what man can. And the part of her speech that capture me is this "As for intellect, all I can say is, if a woman have a pint, and a man a quart , why can't she have her little pint full?" A very powerful representation on women's right and gender equality. Women and men should also be given a fair chance of choice on religion before marriage. I also would like to mention Simone de Beauvoir's Le Deuxième Sexe which she provide an existentialist dimension on feminism. Woman she realizes is always perceived of as the "other", "she is defined and differentiated with reference to man and not he with reference to her".
Women should also be given the idea that they can propose to their men if they want to. This may seem funny but true. That in gender everybody is equal. This maybe the only thing in the world that we can equalize, why not do it? I am lucky and blessed enough that I am able to achieved equality and fair rights. I am not limited to things and I was bound to make decisions on my own. I am in support of #HeForShe for my parents, for when they get old and I wasn't always there by their side, I'm confident that they were both getting their rights equal. For my future son, for him to be free of his emotional feelings and other things without being judged. To my future daughter, that she wouldn't be a victim of gender roles.
And for all the people around the world who wants to be somebody else and are just of afraid of the thought that maybe that weren't meant for them. And for men, this will be for your daughters, sisters and mother. Put down all the pride and ego that masculinity and femininity had given us and let's all aim for gender equality. I will quote what Emma Watson said that inspired me to do this, "If not me, who? If not now, when?"
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