Unconscious bias

By: Mihika Gupta

GD Anderson, a feminist and activist, once rightly said, “Feminism isn’t about making women stronger. They are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.” While the status of women is gradually being re-evaluated and they are gaining the respect they deserve, almost all countries, regardless of how progressive, have a history of mistreating their women. While Western nations continue to make progress, third-world countries such as India lag behind in terms of women’s empowerment.

Women’s empowerment is more crucial than ever in India. Unconscious bias often leads us to accept the injustice done to women as a way of life without a second thought. Have you ever wondered why it’s so common to say, “You are a boy, don’t cry like a girl,” or how we associate the colour pink with girls and blue with boys, or how we choose dolls for girls and DIY toys for boys? These biases cloud our judgment and unconsciously contribute to the foundation of a patriarchal society.

To address this issue, we need to educate women about their rights and help them feel confident in choosing what they want to do with their lives. They should be able to take risks and make decisions without societal pressure. We should work towards creating an environment where women feel safe and free to blossom into amazing human beings and embrace themselves for who they are.

Raising questions about why gender inequality exists can help us gain a better perspective on the situation. Does it persist because people think that women are liabilities? Or because women still only make about 80% of what men earn for full-time work? Or is it simply a mindset that prejudices against women and considers them weaker?

All these issues can be eliminated if we prioritise the education of our girls. Education is a fundamental right, not a privilege. Every girl, regardless of her socioeconomic status, has the right to education. Only education can make women aware of their rights and instill them with self-confidence.

Women’s empowerment is not just about empowering women; it’s also about taking concrete steps to create social awareness. This is not a zero-sum game – empowering women does not mean disempowering men. It means acknowledging that women and men are equals and can create a society that is truly free, where every person can aspire to become what they want to be, irrespective of their gender.