Part One: The Gender-Equal Mindset

We’ve all heard the fair share of jokes swung around at the expense of women around the world.

Feminist jokes, though half-hearted, still ring a truth behind a negative perspective society has (or has had) on women since the beginning of human civilization. Although highlighted in third world countries, gender inequality is a prevalent issue in most other societies as well. And though widely discussed, we have yet to notice a significant change that turns the tide for women all around the world. The negative consequences of sexism seemingly derive from countries whose populations have surmounted a sustainable level. Like in China, Pakistan and India where population control is such an issue that regulations are placed to keep society in check. However, this is also where the true colors of society are shown. In China, for example, a population regulation was set in place to restrict people from having only 1 child per household. As a result of the regulation, families began discarding or aborting female babies to make room for a male child. Unfortunately, this shows how feminism is still prevalent in large influential societies

So where did the feminist viewpoints originate from?

China is a good place to start when it comes to measuring gender inequality, due to the implementation of the “one-child” policy. The philosophy behind this unbalance is related to a number of reasons. Firstly, men are biologically physically stronger than women. This is a cold-undeniable fact that alters the way society has had to behave around women. The example in China comes from farming and agriculture known as ‘the agrarian society’. The agrarian society is based on producing and maintaining crops, relying on physical strength to carry out the tasks at hand. Because females tend to be less physically strong than males, the economy simply couldn’t allow those living in an agrarian society to prefer a female child.

Backed against the wall, China’s one-child policy highlighted the economic imbalances in China and were, in turn, reflected on the preference for financial security a male child provides (above a female child). In Chinese social culture, once a girl is married, she belongs to her husbands family revoking her family name for his (as is in many other cultures as well). This meant that she did not carry the responsibility to take care of her parents anymore. A parent who has to choose for a protected future would characteristically choose a son. It’s important to consider where sexism starts, and to understand that sometimes sexism doesn’t necessarily come from hating women, but by having to adjust to economic or social pressures.

Takeaway:

In today’s society, the clear idea is that sexism is evil. And that people who are sexist are evil people. This isn’t necessarily always the case, if you’re looking to make a change in society where gender inequality is prevalent, the mindset should be to understand the people who are sexist. And from an educational stand-point, pinpoint exactly where the situation between men and women went downhill. Popular opinions and perspectives derive from unpopular situations, sometimes the cause and effect of gender inequality come from completely un-sexist roots. People aren’t born thinking women are inferior, they are taught it. Sometimes from their families and friends, and sometimes it simply arises from the experience that women are less worthy in society. Don’t change the people, change the cause that creates sexist behavior. Change the cause, and the people will have to follow under the corrected state of society.