It’s the same old issue - gender equality. The issue never dies not because there is no solution. It’s because that humans keep it going. Why should anyone fight for gender equality? Instead if we celebrate gender differences, the issue of equality automatically dissipates. Then, we won’t be fighting for equality, we will demand respect. And respect is more possible than equality, which itself is a subjective term (“UN Women urges world to press gender equality post-pandemic,” March 23, Gulf Today).

What does gender equality essentially mean? To a housewife it might mean that her husband must do equal amount of house chores. But is that really equality? No. By the true definition of the word, it would mean that while the husband should do half the household chores, she should do half the work that he does to earn a living. Perhaps he works as an accountant or perhaps he works in the mines. Whatever he does, she must do half of it. Is that agreeable? No. Because it’s impossible. Such clear cut measures are impossible. Because, it’s unviable for her to go to his workplace in place of him, as much as it is impossible for him to get pregnant for 4.5 months to share her load.

So that brings us to the pertinent question. Gender equality or gender respect? In asking that the man respect the woman for who she is and her contribution to society and vice versa, we eliminate the need to fight for an aimless notion. By all counts the term gender equality is misleading, as it stands today. It’s time we propagate gender respect instead.

Abilasha D
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