There has always been a gap when it came to raising girls and boys. Gender roles assigned by cultures in societies have led to inequalities: Girls in many societies have been assigned to taking care of the household duties. There are issues girls face including not going to school and being married at a young age, facing sexual harassment at school, and as they grow up the harassment is also faced at work and not many are given higher positions. There are also too many societal expectations of how a woman should be i.e. obedient, they should be seen and not heard, they should always be at their best behaviour and the list goes on.
On the other hand, I have also observed the following issues with the opposite sex (the male sex). They are taught at a young age to suppress or repress their emotions and not express themselves or cry. Society requires that they always maintain a strong image. There is also the issue of abuse for both sexes which has a long-term impact (trauma) if not addressed.
We need to create a platform where both sexes can openly have conversations so that the male side can hear the females’ stories and understand why we are in the fight for gender equity. Men also need to unlearn what they’ve been taught that is not only hurting them but some of them resort to other practices as they mature into adults e.g. Gender Based Violence (GBV). All these have psychological effects and we need to apply solutions to these problems.
We need to start solving these issues at household levels, starting with parenting. We should not let the boys suppress their emotions because it has a long-term impact. Both children (boys and girls) should be taught to be confident in themselves. Both children should be trained not to fear speaking out when there is an issue. In the context of African cultures, children are raised to think fear and respect is the same thing but it is different because one can respect an elder and still not fear them. This is important to distinguish when a child wants to address and speak out about a certain issue, they can be free to speak out without thinking that they’re being disrespectful. This is especially useful when it comes to issues of abuse, since children are usually the target as they are vulnerable and prone to be fearful about reporting adults.
If we want society to function well we have to change this whole oppressive system that is not only oppressing girls but also hurting the boys who think they are benefiting from it. We should work together to end the toxic cycles and make reforms to the patriarchal system. There are a lot of tasks and duties that can be done by the collaboration of both sexes. Sex does not in any way depict that the biological make up or appearance hinders a person or exempts them from participating in various duties unless it is one’s personal choice.
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