Since women-powered gender equality movements began, women have been striving for a better life. Yet many men have restricted them, and erased all traces of their confidence. In some countries, crimes subjecting women to torture have increased profoundly. Leave alone the night time, it has come down to this that women are not able to walk courageously in bright daylight.
One cannot entirely blame the system. Male youth must shoulder some of the responsibility. Some people in the current generation have the delusion that getting women to submit to your will is a sign of being ‘macho’. On the contrary, the truth is that the actual sign of gentlemanly behaviour is respecting women and holding them in high regard.
I feel society today is sexist to a large extent. We can never hope to be a utopia, however, we can ensure a free and kind world. Parents and schools can contribute by promoting self-defence training for girls and teaching proper etiquette to boys. Children must avail proper moral education from trustworthy, reliable sources such as parents and teachers, and not from sources like internet, which is sure to be misleading. It should start from the grassroots, namely from each individual. When individuals become good, good families develop. Good families propel good societies, good societies give rise to good countries and good countries result in a good world. That ‘good world’ must be our destination.
It is too late to reform the present generation. It is we, the students, who should work towards a virtuous society.
- The reader is a student, based in Abu Dhabi
