It’s high time we encouraged gender equality

By Shweta Arora

From a society dominated by men to speaking up for the rights of women, we have come a long way. However, the world is still dealing with gender inequality underpinned by biasness and sexism. The word feminism, which actually means providing equal opportunities to women around the globe, is being wrongly perceived by many. Categorising women that they belong in the kitchen is wrong! They are skillful and intelligent.

So when we are talking about equality and opportunity, why is there even a comparison with men? The fact is no gender is competing against each other. Even the fear that feminism or when women are on equal footing with men will bring about negative shifts in relationships, marriage, society, culture and jobs in terms of authority or leadership is baseless. It’s a wrong notion.

Feminism is not about berating, deaminising or replacing men. It’s about both men and women creating their own identities without trying to pull anyone down. It’s about realising the potential to execute one’s skills and talents. And so, women must be equally welcomed, appreciated and treated with the same dignity and respect at every place. 

Hence, feminism simply means giving and receiving the same opportunities in every step. In fact, the broader idea is to encourage each human being to grow, motivate the people around you to enhance their skills, and unlock their true potential. And only then will we grow as a society.