Being both an active supporter of equality and an avid fan of the Harry Potter series, I felt elated when I discovered that Emma Watson (Hermione in the Potter films) is launching a campaign, HeForShe, to fight gender inequality.
In her speech, delivered as a U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador at the U.N. headquaters in New York Sept. 21, she highlighted the many ways social inequality exists between both genders to this very day, regardless of social class or geography. Yes, both genders.
Being a self-identified feminist, I am aware of the public stereotype that feminists are rebellious man-hating women. This however, is a fallacy. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “feminism” as “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.”
Then why, one might ask, does it have fem as a root? A logical question, but with no definite explanation. After all, it is the idea behind the word, not the word itself, that carries meaning.
In Watson’s stirring speech, she mentioned a particular issue that appealed to me: equal pay for equal work. Since I aspire to join the workforce, I would like to join knowing that I will be paid the same as my male counterparts for the same job and not less because I may become a mother one day. On average, women make around 77 cents per every dollar a man makes. Some of this is due to women settling for lower-paying jobs, but a bigger part of it is that employers fear that women may decide to leave the workforce or settle for a less-demanding job once they become mothers.
If both and men and women become parents, why does this pay gap have to only apply to women? Men also receive paternity leave, but this is widely neglected: a mere 12 percent of men apply for paid paternity leave as opposed to 69 percent of women who apply for paid maternity leave. According to the same June 14, 2013 Forbes article that published these statistics, men feel “unspoken pressure on the job.”
In my view, a father’s role in the household is as vital as a mother’s, so workplaces should not neglect this importance.
Watson’s speech, however, did leave some space for misunderstanding. She states, "If men don't have to be aggressive, women won't have to be submissive," and if men don't have to control, women won't have to be controlled."
These statements make it sound like men are the sole cause of gender inequality (for women), which is a false notion. When people blame a whole gender as the cause of this misogyny, they themselves become sexist.
So how did such stereotypes manage to stick for so long? Was it because of gender roles in our ancient civilizations? Some might say so. It is a known fact that as ancient societies grew more developed, social classes began to form. Beware that the development of civilization doesn't necessarily mean that humans have evolved into a more developed thinking system.
I believe that spreading awareness for glaring injustices in today's world will lead us to a more knowledgeable and tolerant tomorrow. By breaking down gender role expectations, we can learn to see gender not as an identifier, but simply as a physical trait.
This immersion should start young, in my opinion. When I was born, my parents did not know whether I was going to be a girl or a boy, so I ended up playing with kitchen sets, dolls and baking sets as well as Legos, helicopters and cars. I never felt the pressure to have to like Disney princesses or felt the embarrassment for loving Hot Wheels.
What I feel Watson was really trying to say (without offending or blaming anyone) is that neither gender should feel any sort of obligation to conform to stereotypes, and those who do fall under the stereotypes shouldn’t be discriminated for it. In conclusion, both men and women should aspire to be whatever he or she wants to be, and no one should not be bound to expectations based on gender.
Feminism for the Future
by Himani Shetti