PATRIARCHY

The only constant thing in this world is change. “Nothing is forever, everything has an end,” these are the morals that are passed from our elders. It's hard to dispute the wisdom that comes from a lifetime of experience. We have evolved from apes to the smartest creatures, but society still follows the same old script.

The script has been intact for centuries, where costumes and actors change but not the role of characters. A hero is shown with all the powers, turning the world upside down, and a heroine is shown to be pretty. Yup, that’s it, just pretty - as defined by the social norms that are apparently invisible. Her potential is suppressed and undiscovered like the depths of oceans. Now imagine millions of stories with the same plot. No wonder PATRIARCHY sounds boring, right?

Nature has built us in a way that, for survival, men are the protectors, and women are the nurturers of life, but patriarchy has distorted them into assets and liabilities. Even as society progressed, patriarchal values persisted - influencing laws, education, and even professional opportunities. While many nations have gender-neutral laws, patriarchy still operates in subtle ways through workplace discrimination, educational opportunities, leadership roles, and more.

Men think of themselves as the protectors of women but sadly don't realize how to protect them. We talk about “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao,” but even today, women hesitate to go out alone at night. Crimes against women are high in metropolitan cities as well, and what do we do about that? We make memes and laugh without realizing that we're laughing at our failures. Through all this, I realized I was only looking at the negative end. It's important to criticize the bad but equally important to appreciate the good. It's no lie that situations are better compared to the past.

Women have stepped out of purdahs and are fighting against all odds, in every possible field of society. We have to shift our mindset from seeing her as “someone’s mother/sister ” to  recognizing that “she is SOMEONE.” Let’s break the cycle and bring change. Are we ready to pick up the pen and rewrite the story? If not, even in the future, there will be someone just like me, writing blogs on this social evil.