Shiksha Adhoori III [Education Incomplete III)

Thought of rejuvenating the Shiksha Adhoori series... For people who have not read the earlier posts on the same, please follow the link Shiksha Adhoori I , Shiksha Adhoori II . Though this post is no way related as a follow up of my earlier posts but some thoughts which reflects on the way how education is incomplete might be analogous and interesting to a few. When I was preparing to write this entry, interestingly I got to come across a random blog by a friend who've written about MORALITY, TRADITION AND SEXUALITY OF WOMEN in Indian community [I hope she wrote with Indian community as context] and after reading that all I could see was the fault in our education system which failed to incorporate the values of feminism.

We at today's world talk about women empowerment / equality in rights to the counter sex of ours, but have we seriously thought about where the biasing began from. I'm not a history student or follower of history but as far what I've read / understood is women held an equal importance of what men did in Vedic era [I might be wrong], but this changed with time... not going detailed into history, the system [as of I know] was functioning on the following basis in which men and women shared equal responsibilities out of which men took the responsibilities of earning food and shelter for a family and women took the equal responsibilities of managing the food and shelter earned by men, thus stuck at home. I don't find anything wrong in this system as both share their responsibilities mutually by doing all the necessary things for the household and running a family unless the decision made / taken has equal say from both, but eventually this concept has been misinterpreted as the men started to socially move out of home and explore more of the world than a women who was restricted by the responsibilities of her. [O.k... no more history.. coming to the topic].

Now.... after a few more generations we are here in this world to discuss about gender biasing etc., I never knew history or geography till I opened my book.... At home I knew that my mom cooks but I also knew that my mom went to job. Luckily my father was working as a cook in a hotel and I knew that father can also cook and wash vessels. I'm not sure if that was the status of every house. I didn't get to see a gender biasing at my home but always have felt that my father had the final say even though my mom equally argued and made a point all the time that her opinion does counts and sometimes win the argument as well. I never knew that the financial strength made her talk :).

But as far as I remember, my books have always reflected that mom does household work only but father does the rest... a few examples could be "Mom cooks food" and "Father reads news paper"..."Mom buys Vegetables" and "Father buys a car / TV”. Whatever. I always wonder will the vegetable seller refuse to sell vegetables if father goes to buy that. I also remember a few history lessons [though I used to hate history] discussing about the emperors and their queens, it always [at least 97 % of the time] reflects women as entertainment material to the men.

The friend in her blog mentions "Fidelity and purity of women is so associated with her sexuality and more over ‘virginity’. A girl is termed as the izzat, laaj (honour) of the family, as if fathers and brothers of the family are shame to the family".... very true.. This is what was taught as moral education in schools. Another simple examples would be in the sports ground... boys and girls have a physical education period where boys were allowed to play outdoor sports but girls weren't., even if they get a chance to play outdoor games they were supposed to play tennikoit and ball badminton as if they'll not be able to play hockey [The boys team was continuously champion for around 21 years in our district], who knows the girls might have excelled.

I don't see the system of education provides some solution / tend to eradicate the problem of gender biasing rather it is the base where the whole thing is brought up on a child's mind.... The system is sowing weeds on the minds rather than sowing seeds and trying to cut down after it gets grown up.

Shiksha Adhoori would continue.... share your experiences and views.