Is Women’s day celebration another deceptive act from the bag of tricks of the Patriarchal Juggler, asks Mujeeb Jaihoon
• Women are already empowered. It is men who need it most
• Women’s Day: Another Deception of the Patriarchal Juggler?
• Women as Stronger Men with the Womb
• Men as default Models: Gender Discrimination in Media
• Human life is beyond the Economic
• Baking Bread is not less honorable than Earning it
• Women Empowerment scripted as Men-compliant
• Mother, the Magnanimous Mentor
• Mother-reverent. God-compliant
• Homemaker. Life-maker
• Compassion is Power, Not Failure
• Women are born Saints
• Imitation of Men is Angel of Death for Women
Women’s Day: Another Deception of the Patriarchal Juggler?
Modern world is largely shaped by the sandwich culture, assigning minimum time and attention to issues which actually demand our lifetime awareness. We reduce everything to a day or an hour. Women’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Earth Hour are among its notable examples. While all the noise of love for the weaker sex is laudable, allow me to add some critical bread in your thoughtful oven.
We ought to ponder are we really giving a relation its real due by simply assigning a calendar day for it? Is it an act of honor and valor or another deceptive trick of insult and contempt by the Patriarchal juggler?
Women as Stronger Men with the Womb
We also need to re-examine our concept of women empowerment. When do we empower something? Only when the oppressed victims are originally weak. But are our women inherently weak? Because if they were, how would history claim those legendary supermen who walked on this earth? Obviously the historic figures were born from the most powerful, i.e., ‘men with the womb’?
We conveniently forget that the founder of the most popular religion on earth didn’t have a biological father. He was the contribution of Lady Maryam, a name her parents well-deservedly kept to mean, a woman worth two men.
It has become customary for men-controlled commercial giants to launch make-feel good vibes for women on March 08 of every year. Newspapers unleash never seen before headlines and features of love for the feminine. The ghost of social branding is once again resurrected to preach the gospel of women empowerment
Men as default Models: Gender Discrimination in Media
Question one. Why do media only report news and happenings when women perform traditional men-only jobs? It is super headlines in media when India’s national air carrier flies a women-only crew. Is it because the inferior women have successfully imitated the superior men’s job?
In the same spirit of gender equality, why is media silent when men perform, though not so successfully, a role traditionally handled by women, like child-rearing or housekeeping? Is that because that role is written off as an inferior? Why do our media and literature look down on every traditional role of women as inferior?
Human life is beyond the Economic
Question two. Should empowerment mean only economic empowerment? Is human life only economic in nature? Is earning raw bread alone enough but not making it eatable? Do our offspring simply grow like fruits and vegetables and not require any psychological fulfillment? Was Maslow, who proposed the theory of human needs, talking nonsense when he placed love, self-esteem and self-realization along with the economic need of hunger fulfillment?
Baking Bread is not less honorable than Earning it
Question three. Is the single post of bread-winner superior over all other voluntary jobs of consort, tutor, gardener, cook, launderer, storekeeper, counselor, janitor, maidservant- traditionally performed by the womenfolk at home?
Women Empowerment scripted as Men-compliant
Should the women accept the definition and function of women empowerment formulated from the patriarchal minds? The Media, Politicians, Commerce- zealous apostles of women empowerment- are largely controlled by men. It’s time for women to ask why are there no headlines when men perform women’s chores. Women are as inevitable as men for the world to go on. Why, then, should only one gender tread the path of the other?
Mother, the Magnanimous Mentor
The oppressive treatment of women is not men’s fault. The real problem lies in their spoiled upbringing. Accept or not, how a man treats a sister or wife is determined by the value system imbibed from his mother, the magnanimous mentor, more than his father.
Mother-reverent. God-compliant
The very title of this event, ‘She’s the first’ stands literally true in the spiritual tradition of all religions, more so in the Islamic tradition where the Mother holds three-fold merit over the father. Mother commands the greatest reverence after the Lord. Spirituality would be a futile business if it is devoid of respect of the Mother. Salvation starts, if not ends, from the dust under her feet. And every mother was once a girl, a wife and female. Hence, we have good reasons to conclude Paradise’ doors would welcome only those souls who have the medals of honoring their mothers.
Homemaker. Life-maker
Wife in Indian tradition is one of the most oppressed and therefore one of the most depressed class in the society. Wife, or homemaker in economic terms, is a lifetime profession where they get no compensation until death. Every homemaker is, therefore, a living martyr or saint. We are, thus, forced to believe in the necessity of a hereafter for this class would be rewarded in one form or other from God.
Compassion is Power, Not Failure
Ladies. Instead of complaining of your ‘inferior inability’ to perform up to the ‘superior’ patriarchal benchmarks, why not take pride in your superiority over the men who are lacking in spirit of compassion and sacrifice?
Women are born Saints
Women are already empowered. It is they who should empower the destructive men to have mercy and patience, not the other way around. On this day, let men learn from women the lessons of chivalrous patience and sacrifice. When men make sacrifices or undergo sufferings, they are honored with titles of sainthood. When women experience same, they are only said to be good wives and sisters. But the truth is Women are born saints.
Imitation of Men is Angel of Death for Women
Women should not wait for the men to empower them. Their empowerment lies in the realization of their worth and treading a path different from men-drawn coordinates.
Dear Friends. Imitation, I say with the hand on my heart, is the angel of death, for your mind and empowerment. I wish you a thoughtful women’s day.
Summary of Jaihoon’s speech on Women’s Day at EMEA College of Arts & Science, Kondotty – Kerala, on March 08 2017.
