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CH 12: Subjugation of women: A centuries-old shame

Across the world, I have witnessed women doing more labor − from cleaning and cooking to teaching and office work − while earning less pay and hardly receiving any appreciation. I have not been able to figure out why such simple acts of fairness and gratitude are missing. Is it because the negative attitudes towards women are so entrenched in cultures around the world that you endlessly talk about “gender issues” and “gender sensitivity” yet still do not treat them with the respect and gratitude they deserve? Or is it that your insensitivities towards women, which span across centuries, are so bad that even now they have to be addressed as part of your “global agenda”?

I may have caused you harm for few years. You have been causing your other halves to suffer, both physically and mentally, for thousands of years. Even in the world’s most powerful country and advanced economy, in the peak of the pandemic, every minute on average 20 women were infected by me − while 25 were raped, physically assaulted and stalked by their own kind. Hence, before you talk to me about hurt, look at how you have been hurting your other halves for centuries.

Similarly, I saw you lecture big on empowering women with education and employment in a country where they had earlier languished under male dominance, but then they were deserted when your own interests were no longer served. It took less than a month to disown 20 years (2001-2020) of social reform which saw women’s life expectancy grow from 56- 64 years-old and the number of girls enrolled in primary schools grew by more than 80%. As people ran for their lives, all you cared for was the safety of your nationals. I can’t imagine being as opportunistic and exploitative as some of you are.

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