“Each time a woman stands up for
herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for
all women.” – Maya Angelou
In the Chaos Theory, the Butterfly Effect is
the sensitive dependence on initial conditions in which a small change in one
state can translate into larger differences in a larger state. A highly
applicable theory to the Inequality of the Sexes. Oppression of the female
human species over thousands of years created a rigid imbalanced society,
severe in its social and sexual policies, and self destructive in its own
progress by crushing the very creators and nurturers of the next generation.
Years of oppression, imbalance, regressive attitudes and tyrannical laws only
led to a Butterfly Effect of repression and distrust bred across all segments of
society and a highly fragmented, confused and disparate world.
While men have had
their share of chest thumping and a demonstration of strength, it was always
the unsung women through the ages who endured with matchless quiet strength, dignity,
love and at times, undisclosed suffering. They were the true stars of humanity.
They are the heroes who birthed and nurtured us, held us together, and gave us
hope even as dynasties and societies fell apart time and time again.
Fortunately the Feminist movement in the 1960’s
across the Western Hemisphere initiated the first spark towards undoing
centuries of discrimination and inequality. The movement saw a series of
political campaigns for reforms on vital issues such as domestic violence,
equal pay, reproductive rights and women’s suffrage to set the ball rolling and
gradually started attaining a few feathers in its cap such as women’s rights to
vote, obtaining higher education, and entering male-dominated professional
spheres. Eventually, with organized women’s empowerment movements gaining
strength around the world, the world finally realized that feminism and
equality can no longer be ignored.
Strangely, the advancement of women in
society is often misperceived with the potential deterioration of their male
counterparts’ status. But that’s not really what equality is all about! Feminism was never about hating men. It was about
challenging the absurd gender distinctions that boys and girls learn from
childhood and carry into their adult lives. Modern feminism does not
view politics, economics, or society as a zero-sum game. When women “win,” men
do not automatically “lose.” All women want is to express themselves freely and
be accepted for who they are. Fortunately, the oppressive domestic patterns of
the past have started receding, giving way to an assortment of new family
models, a greater flexibility and a better cooperation of both sexes to arrive
at mutually win-win solutions.
The aim is not to make
special demands for the female sex or glorify women as ‘superior-beings’, but
to appreciate the strength, courage, responsibility and love they bring in the
face of hardship, segregation, poverty and violence. Over the centuries they
have shouldered this gruelling, unpleasant work because they were committed to
nourishing life and ushering in a better future. And it’s high time we
appreciate and salute their quiet sacrifices even as our generation attained a
better life and a shot at gender equality thanks to their untiring efforts.
If we can raise our children
as humans, rather than raising boys and girls, the future of humanity can hope
to remove the dark stain of misogyny sooner than one can imagine and we can
have a Butterfly Effect that offers hope to all of humanity going forward.
**
Dedicating this article to my mother, Rose Augustine Chacko, my ultimate
'She-roe', and an epitome of strength, courage, sacrifice & love. My role
model, friend and guide. I wouldn't be half the person I am today without my
'She-roe'.
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