International Women’s Day Special – IWD | Reimagining the Role of Women in Society
Happy Women’s Day!
The phrase “women and children” is one of the most common clichés heard since days of yore. Its cacophony grows louder during times of war. When it comes to children, safety and wellbeing are paramount, but for women and children, the pawn game continues.
Either it is depicted as if a war is being fought for their welfare or betterment, or they are at the receiving end, facing all sorts of atrocities at the hands of the aggressor. Be it internal rebellion or external aggression, the real-life script is almost ready. Who suffers most? Women and children. Yet they are treated as pawns at the hands of aggressors or those who try to repress their voices.
History and Right of Choice
Once a person turns 18, or in some countries 21, every individual should have a right of choice. Women are not an exception. Unfortunately, historically speaking, this has not been the case for hundreds and thousands of years in almost all societies. Whether the blame lies with history or the “reproductive capacity” of women, they have often been relegated to household chores while male members of the family go out for work.
The same theory appears in many fables and stories; the status of women in society was foretold long ago. Though many things have changed in the last few decades, there are still many countries where women go through some form of oppression and torture—mentally, physically, or bodily. The kinds of suffering faced are out in the open. Women even had to fight for voting rights in many countries. It is not surprising that many of those same countries now claim to champion the cause of the emancipation of women.
Empowerment, Leadership, and Bodily Autonomy
This Women’s Day, rather than showing pity or mercy towards women, the focus should be on empowering them with education, employment, and choice. They should come forward to lead the nation. While some may use the labels of feminism or gender equality, it is an observable reality that women leaders rarely engage in as much warmongering as many of their male counterparts.
A woman’s marriage should not be prioritized as much as her education. There should be no pressure for women to bear a child; it is her body and her choice. Even in many developed countries, abortion is either banned or only recently allowed. The question remains: why? A woman should be allowed to choose what she wants to wear, what she wants to study, who she wants to make friends with, who she wants to marry, and how many children she wants to have.
True liberation for women requires letting them speak for themselves. Words should not be put into their mouths to pretend they are speaking when they may want something else. Armed conflict can never bring a real solution. It only endangers the lives of innocent people who are caught in the crossfire when “powerful” people fight what has often been treated as “boys’ toys.”
In Conclusion
Ultimately, the progress of a civilization is measured by the degree of freedom it affords all its citizens. When the world stops viewing women through the lens of protectionism and starts viewing them as sovereign individuals, the “pawn game” will finally end. Only three principles are enough to end this column: Choice, Consent, and ‘No to Moral Policing.’ The goal is to leave her alone, just as men have long been left alone to live their lives.
