Breaking The Mold

An incident this morning made me think about a discussion we had in class about gender roles, and the biases that exist supporting them. My fifteen year old brother has somehow become the self-proclaimed “king of the household”, believing that my mother and I are there just to bring him his breakfast, do his laundry, and serve him in every way we possibly can. Finally, today amid a shouting match he announced that he ‘could not take it anymore!”, and that our requests for his help around the household were “driving him to the edge.” I have to say that was quite an ironic statement on his part, for he is not the one being subjected to his silly demands. I guess I just have to sit back and wonder why my brother failed to grasp the new wave of values about female independence and the idea that they are no longer slaves to their male counterparts. What is it that has continued the vicious cycle of oppression and disrespect that seems to drive his beliefs? My parents? Me? His peers? Society itself? Well, to knock some sense into him my father has taken him off our hands. Now, my father used to be the one who would walk in, put down his briefcase, sit at the table and say “What’s for dinner?”, regardless of what my mother was doing. This is the same man that now resides in the kitchen, wearing an apron making soggy spaghetti, and helping my six year old half brother with his homework, while his ‘young, modern’ wife relaxes on the couch. Obviously, I don’t agree with putting all the work on one partner, but oh, how the tables have turned. For centuries women have been dealt the short end of the stick, and now, in the 21st century when you think that the younger generations are different, it seems that they still have a long way to go. Women were expected to be good at cleaning, cooking, sewing, nurturing, and when they weren’t they are ruled unfit as wives or even deemed failures to their sex. However, it seemed when they did comply and serve as homemakers, their work went overlooked, and unappreciated. All that work was to be expected, as if part of the job description. Wives and mothers began to complain about this injustice and in the seventies began demanding payments for their hard labor. Washing windows, cleaning bathrooms, doing beds, caring for children and cooking meals were all services people could be paid to do, and these women were doing them for free! No more, they called out. They wanted a change. Posters, associations and grand marches rang out across the globe commemorating an International Women’s Day to remind everyone about women‘s role in society and their desires to be respected and equal. Then, when they wanted to further break away from this stigma, they ventured out into the workplace to show the world what they were capable of. Once in, they demanded equal wages and opportunities. There was a need to prove that women could indeed break barriers and hold prestigious positions, like those kept by men. Yet, although we may take stands and fight, and many believe we have reached a point of equality, I believe that we have not. Even the legal system has not legitimized our position in society. The Equal Rights Amendment, for example, that was first proposed in the 1920’s and was then put forth again in 1971, was shot down by the states. It would have granted equal rights regardless of sex, and had received the necessary two thirds vote from Congress but couldn’t obtain the ratification of the requisite of 38 states. Wow, 38! But aren’t we supposed to be equal already? Would passing this amendment make such a significant difference for the states? What if we put it forth again today, what do you think would happen? These are all questions that come to mind when these kinds of situations come up. However, it has been shown that through banding together for a cause, spreading their message through images and even designating a day that would further legitimatize their mission, the women’s movement became a force to reckon with. These events join women on an international scale, and spreads the message at an astounding level. More people just have to listen.