Catcalls, humiliating words, and rape, how much can we take? Women are
violated in every possible way, every possible day. This isn’t a trend that has
recently started. Discrimination of women is something that has taken place
since the beginning of time. Instead of respecting the gender that gave birth
to them, men tend to take advantage of, abuse, and violate women. It’s
not only the men though, women have begun to undermine and contravene their own
kind. Brainwashed by society, women have begun to think less of the gender in
which they belong.
Discrimination is a word often used. It’s
usually used for the minority, the misfits. However, discrimination is the
correct term for women even though they happen to be equal or more in population
than men. No matter how many women there are, if there’s a man, the man is
thought to be automatically better. This is shown from the gender determined
obstacles that women have to face from the day they are born. The problem
begins there because if the zygote is known to be a female it is usually
aborted. Many girls don’t get the chance to be discriminated later in life, as
they are never given a life to live. The gender preference of the society is
blatantly evident. When an elder in the family gives their blessing to a newly
married couple, they will almost always say that they’re hoping they produce a
male child. Even before the zygote is formed, many people are praying that
their child is a male.
In the work place, generally a man is preferred over a woman. For the
same work done, men get paid more than women do. Discrimination and bias is
evident everywhere. Hypothetically, there is a pair of journalists. They both
write about politics on the daily paper. The woman is evidently more
experienced and skilled, while the man makes silly grammatical mistakes. It’s
obvious that of the two, the woman is a better journalist. If this is the case,
why is the man still getting the higher pay? Shouldn’t the amount of money a
person makes depend on the quality of their work, instead of the gender they
belong to?
What happens when the child is born as a female? Well, they’re
discriminated even further. In many places in Asia, when there are more than
one children of more than one gender, the male is always favored. They
are provided with the best form of education and their nutrition needs are met,
no matter what the cost. However, if the child is a female, the education they
may receive may not be of the best quality, as their food. If the need of the
family is grave, then the girl is sold. Another example is when a girl marries
a boy; the girl takes his last name. Why not the other way around? Why doesn’t
the boy change is last name? A girl changing her maiden name after marriage is
so common, we don’t give it a second thought. However, it is a form of
discrimination.
Human trafficking is one of the biggest forms of discrimination. Have
you ever heard about trafficking boys? This may take place, but it is not
common. However, the trafficking of girls? That’s one of the most common places
for a poverty-struck young woman to end up. When a girl is sold, she usually
doesn’t know that she will end up becoming a prostitute. She usually has big
dreams, dreams that will help her family abundantly. She wants to go to the big
city to live a noble, respected life. She, in the changing of events, ends up
in a prostitution house. There, she’s is treated not like the graceful woman
she wants to be. No, she’s treated like an object. That girl becomes an object
men can buy, use, and then throw. It is in such houses that an abundance of
torn self-esteems, broken dreams, and the lack of humanity are seen. The girl
with the big dreams ends up in a place where only nightmares flourish. That is
the most disgusting irony.
Most of us are aware of the trafficking of women, yet we do nothing to
create a change. We turn our heads, not seeing the nightmarish-reality that
takes place right in front of us. We preach, yet we do not practice. That is
the reason that trafficking still exists, the reason that these girls must go
through torturous daily activities. This girls literally live a life that’s
always somewhere between life and death.
Today, most countries believe in human rights. They believe that every
person should be treated equally. They believe that everybody should have the
same rights. These rights include the right to life, the right to free
speech, and the right to information. If these rights were practiced in respect
to every human being, we’d live in a partially positive world. However, these
rights are usually practiced in respect to males. Women aren’t even considered
human, as they’re not given their human rights. Some females don’t have the
right to live as they are aborted, as soon as they come into existence. Most
females aren’t allowed to say what they think or feel, most are just scared.
Females also are not given enough education to know what their right are, thus
they lack the right to information. Without these basic human rights, women are
no longer even considered human. The quality of the education that a
woman receives is usually not the best. Since they lack quality education, they
are taken advantage of. The lack of education along with the lack of respect on
the part of men, are the main reasons that violence against women exists. Women
are teased, raped, and abused (emotionally and physically) on a daily basis.
Society, even though it consists
of women, is against them. A woman is told to be perfect. She must have a
portioned acne-free face, shiny pearly whites, and a personality as bright as
the sun. If she is missing any of this, she’s considered imperfect. She’s
considered a flaw in the society, a horrible misfit. That decreases the esteem
of women and increases those of men. This leads to men thinking they are better
than women, and this kind of thinking results in horrible actions being taken
towards women.
As a member of the female gender,
I will not tolerate the explicit discrimination and injustice practiced against
women in our society. I would like to take a stand for the women that cannot
stand for themselves. I would love to make sure these women become independent,
outspoken, and worthy individuals in which our gender can take pride. This is
why I would love to intern or volunteer in the Alliance Against Trafficking in
Women and Children in Nepal (AATWIN Nepal). This organization gives us, the people,
a say and allows us to take a stand for what we believe in. As a feminist, I
would love to do all I can to make this country and world a safer, more
women-friendly place. With my passion
for the subject and my driven attitude, I would love to take part in this
organization. This is because it’s time for a change to come. It’s time women
are treated equally and respectfully.