Do women play a role in upholding patriarchy?
Patriarchy has been prevalent in our society since centuries together. It clearly declares the male gender as the superior gender. In such circumstances, women cannot get hold of their rights and cannot exercise them either. In my opinion, women are somewhat involved in the same. Women do play a role in upholding patriarchy. A crime is a criminal’s job to deal with, but even those who are partially involved in it for not raising a voice against it, have to be held responsible. Although patriarchy is not a crime as such, it does not even serve to be helping the society in any means.
Women are the office bearers of the households. It is absolutely in their hands and under their control to if not curb patriarchy then at least minimize it to some extent. Where we lag, is at the social barrier between the two genders which some women do not see in actual, and end up supporting it blindly for their husbands and sons are the ones who the power comes to, eventually. Just to glorify one’s family’s purpose, or to experience one’s family’s state and condition in power, one cannot put on stake an entire part of the human population. One cannot go to the extent of putting a question mark on the existence of women, for one’s selfish means and purposes.
Why in a family, is it required for a daughter to take permission from her parents before even making a phone call to a friend whereas the son can ride his motorbike and go wherever he wants to? Why are their restraints on a girl to come back home from work before dusk while a boy can go on loitering about even though it is not needed? Why a girl’s brother is always allowed to be violent with his sister if she makes a mistake and why is a daughter taught how to handle a family household rather than aiming and dreaming big? Is it not a woman’s or a mother’s responsibility to fit in these basic etiquettes or protocols in the minds of young children so that they remain etched in their brains even after they grow up? Every disease needs to be diagnosed at the base of it and it needs to be curbed at it’s very glass root level in order to prevent it from infecting the entire body. The day women understand that it is not only their need but their duty to respect and support other women in order to overcome the faulty practices of the society against women, women will not only be able to exist in the society, but also live and make a difference to the world.
A woman myself,
Shubhangini Shaktawat