ÛLha- Can modernity abridge every mystery and modern mind?

One early morning, I woke up to a loud ringtone of my old phone which snatched away my peaceful morning sleep and a beautiful dream. With my eyes still drooping, I picked up the call. “Aren’t you going? Today is Namgang”, one of my friends toned busy at the other end. “I am still in bed you may like to proceed please.” And the time was 5 in the morning. Outside, it was raining and I did not realise I fell back asleep.

By the time my mother woke me up, it was 7 o’clock. She said that I must go attend the Ûlha Soelkha (ritual to appease the village’s protecting deity). Suddenly, her words prompted me as I was waiting for the moment since a month ago. As same as other village folks were looking forward, I have been waiting for this moment to come, so I did not want to miss a chance. I dialled my friend to know that they were already halfway through pitching a tent to guard them from the heavy downpour. I could see my mom busy packing a bangchung of rice a palang of bangchang and ara each. Outside, my dad, with the worn-out umbrella over him, was busy gathering a bundle each of the varieties of vegetable from his kitchen garden. After a quick breakfast, we headed to the spot. I escorted my grandpa, who murmured amidst the raindrops and our feet splashing against the pool of rainwater on our way.

As we moved in, I requested my grandfather, one of the living historians of the village, to narrate me on the significance of the ritual, at least from the layman’s view.  There he goes.

The ritual is called, Û-lha-soel. This tradition of offering takes place specifically on 30^th day of the 3^rd month of the Bhutanese calendar. Of course, he is not sure of why it is being observed on that particular day as much as he does not know when the tradition started. But one thing he is certain that the day used to be observed since he was a young boy which meant that it was in vogue from generations and time immemorial.

At one point in time long ago, the village befell a series of agonising ill-luck that peoples’ crops were damaged by extreme weather conditions and their herds fell prey to wild canines. People were at the verge of getting succumbed to hunger that year and they had to face the harsh reality of life. Just to gather people’s hope for a better life tomorrow, village’s elders built a stupa where sickly villagers could visit and pray for solace. And to the miracle of their prayers, the ill-fated problems disappeared and never happened thereon.

That is how the tradition of making an offering of various vegetable spores and cattle furs during this ritual originated. That day on, they made a point that the day was observed with everyone in the village coming together and saying prayers for their welfare. However, like my grandfather, elder people expressed their worries that this tradition would go on unobserved during the times of the future generations and the ill-fated day would befall them. 

By the time we reached the spot, the rain already receded to drizzles, and with a wink of the morning sun rays through the clouds, brought a beautiful rainbow.  My curiosity to watch them perform grew even more. But I could not convince my eyes that the ritual was not hosted in the village Lhakhang. Everyone was busy in their own ways near the old stupa of about three centuries old. A few men were into preparing the traditional formalities. I observed that a few of them were inquiring elders what the sequence each torma (ritual cake) should be placed. On both sides of the improvised alter, antique textiles and swords were hung. On the foreside, a series of tormas were lined up. The food people brought were laid down on the banana leaves. On the base of the chorten, bundles of grains and vegetable saplings were placed. This was the first time in my entire life, I attended the ritual which at first appeared bizarre to me but was amazed by how the belief system made everyone’s mind think in unison.

As people started to prostrate and pray, I bothered my grandfather again. “I will no longer raise cattle and do farming in future. There is no reason to keep this tradition alive.” He responded to me with a sarcastic laugh at first. “Every person has their own god by the virtue of their birth (skya lha) who guides and protects them. Similarly, almost all villages have their protective deities.” He cited a few popular names of the deities for my understanding. “They would never be away from us irrespective of places and work we do. If we don’t know these things, trying staying carefree, mix up everything, at some point in our life, we would face their wrathfulness”, He explained with some sense of indifference in his mind.

A chill sensation ran through my spines. Imaginations of my life being away from the village flashed in my eyes. It will be certainly difficult for people of my age to attend this type of important ritual in future. If at all what he told me was certain to happen, this was nothing more than a generations’ curse to the modernity, after all, modernity also involves being logical and rationale. If logic has to overrule the traditions that are based on belief and hearsay, elder people’s fear of losing the tradition is not far away.

However, if today’s youth have to uphold all traditions some of which are irrational and against what modern education and science have to teach, it would be nothing more than fighting a modern war with ice-age weapons. Traditions such as this call for more research and logical settings in our mind to abridge both the lives of classical elder and contemporary youth. Can we afford to practise the tradition without ascertaining why and how part? Can we dwell on why and how and leave the tradition unattended? Are the youths not pushed to an island of mixed mindset? I have more questions than answers.         

With these questions clouded in my mind, I rushed back home to write about this and share with others who probably would have answers to my questions. If not answers, you certainly would have these questions in your mind. By writing this short article, I can only hope that you all ask your parents and elder people in your village about your Kelha, Yuelha and why must you uphold the tradition. Finding the time and asking them about anything could happen today, or never. I wish you luck in your pursuit of writing similar stories and more.

 

Lessons the Covid-19 taught me.

Lessons the Covid-19 taught me.

As the clock strikes 10 pm, we glue our eyes to the small screen perched on the improvised TV stand in our living room and it has, of late, become a family time. My dad expects every one of us calm and quiet since that is the only news hour he can have it. Other times, he would be either driving or doing all other works an America-manufactured robot probably could not handle. Around this time, I noticed something unusual as my parents find time to keep themselves engrossed with TV programmes. The news, whether newsy or horrible, would draw their concentration. 

Towards the end of the news session, they would want me to provide more explanation, especially, on the status of Covid-19 in Bhutan. While they communicate with their rakes and herds in the national language, their ability to grasp the essence of the news read in flying Zhungkha necessitates me to interpret them the entire news once again. One time, I was sharing with them that two of the COVID-19 positive patients recovered and their expression turned brighter. Their expression implied that they found solace as much as they were infuriated by the news that some people have been caught committing heinous crimes along the borders. I found them curse those people genuinely as though their mere curse could come true or it was better than the felony degree sentence.  

One thing I wish from them more than inheritance is they either continue to sleep some more time or they don’t wake me up in the morning. More than disappointment, they would shout and shake the peace of mind to the extent that the COVID19 pandemic has shaken the world. This trait has germinated the feeling of why must hostels be better than homes to sleep. Funnier is, I miss the college days that my parents missed to attend and would never understand the charm of college life, thanks to them though.     

Back to one of the college days, I clearly remember that morning when one of my friends rushed to share that all educational institutes will be shut, and we have to leave home immediately. I could wish nothing more than our college closing temporarily like some institutes in the Dzongkhags which were already closed. By the time my wishes came true, my friends were already busy arranging ferries to take them home while the TV continued to show the World Health Organization officials talking lots about coronavirus which I could understand none at that moment. The only thing I clearly understood was the death toll in China hit more than 3000 by then and the virus was spreading to other countries. Nothing shocked me more than the news of detecting the first positive case in Bhutan and an American tourist brought it. I thought that was the end of the world for me. 

As 1700 fellow students drove home, the busy and beautiful Sherubtse College became sick and deserted. It got deprived of its inherited ambiance as much as the commercial hub of Wuhan in China lost its economic actors at an instant. That night, I gazed at the majestic clock tower, the flickering lights around it, and took the last goodnight click, the sense of gratefulness and belongingness to the premier institute of Sherubtse in mind growing even more. More than the sense of gratitude, I was touched to the core of my heart when the College administration boarded us into buses and paid travel expenses of students. Deep in my heart, I knew I can never repay the love and care the college showered upon us. To the most extent, I could text my message of gratitude to the leader’s group chat- “Thank you so much, I am home, safe now.” 

Back in the village, many things have already started taking turns. Villagers were at the helm of stockpiling rations enough to last six and more months and tilling gardens to grow vegetables. All conversations turned casual and into jokes of coronavirus being a beautiful young lady with the blood of a cobra- a beautiful name but lethal. News, both fake and true have already hallowed over my village. Once, my mother claimed with pride that the virus stands no chance against them as their immunity has evolved much better due to having worked in the extreme weather conditions and their alcohol habit would do wonders against it.

This was what someone in the village shared after reading a hoax from the internet. Social media can bring more impact especially during such dire times as the pandemic. As a social-media-savvy, I even became a source of news and happenings for them at one point in time. At times, I had to alter a story on Facebook just to make them feel that staying within the confinement of their village-dom was safer than looking for opportunities in the town while bearing in mind that truth was also important for them. 

Meantime, the virtual classes started and additional challenges began to unfurl. The erratic network and frequent power disruptions disconnected me from the teaching sessions. Parents’ expectation to help them de-escalated my morale to attend the classes as per schedule. My duty as a son of peasant parents coerced me into more chores than attending classes and, at times I had to cheat myself by believing that classes are called off. Upholding parents’ sentiments was the wind that blew the dark clouds over my duty as a student. The day’s work brought exhaustion to my body and mind, and dozing off was the only option I had at the end. 

But one thing that kept me moving is the thought of our visionary King who sacrifices his family time for the safety of the country. It is unimaginable to see His Majesty walk length and breadth of the country day out and night in, risking His life. I could only think how much pain it brings to leave behind the Royal family, especially Gyalsey and the newly born Royal Prince, just to keep us safe. Any rock- minded Bhutanese must understand why we are lucky to be born in Bhutan and what responsibility we got as a happy citizen of this heavenly abode. 

Yonphula, 2nd semester

It is heartening to watch how the government makes decisions, and the unwavering support everyone provides. Even teachers came forward to volunteer and bring in new reforms in the way they impart lessons. All in all, I saw an increased degree of solidarity and hard work put by both teachers and learners. Eventually, a dedicated will from both ends is defeating the problems that hinder the teaching-learning environment. For me, more than the academic lessons, it equipped me with social skills and life-long lessons. Financial, work, and time management has become handy for me. Therefore, the outbreak of Covid-19 is opportunistic as much as it is challenging for us. It is important we know how to embrace challenges in our lives.

Lately, as the Ministry of Education has notified about the reopening of educational institutions, students are excited and I confess that I am one amongst them. However, we should be cautious not to risk ourselves by the decision that education is important. We can go to schools and learn, but only if we are alive. Similarly, we should realize the purpose of our existence and moral responsibility as a student to say prayers for the safety and wellbeing of His Majesty the King and the people.

Therefore, I express my promises and prayers to never fail the moral trust, social security, and economic balance they ensure for us. By sharing this short note, I wholeheartedly re-dedicate myself to the service of TSA-WA-SUM for all times. The impressive stories of the selfless sacrifices His Majesty makes for us will be the guiding principle of my life. Please join me in saying prayers for everyone in the country who are involved in the fight against the virus. Let us all live and get old to retell these successful stories of ours to the grandchildren in future.

Thank you, readers, for your time. 

Personal Reflection on Political cultures in Bhutan

Personal reflection on political trends in Bhutan.

The fourth-century classical Greek Philosopher Aristotle claimed that a man is by nature a political animal. I am not sure what could have been the complexity of politics during his times. Queries spring up more often complex than what answers based on data and experience can give us today. However, politics has become much more complex than it is thought in the wake of sapiens and their need to make a comfortable livelihood. So is the case of politics in Bhutan. The democratic system of governance has brought about substantial development in the country. The two earlier governments did so much to the citizens and their livelihood and the current government is of no exception. With this, there are numbers of incidences that are becoming a political trend or culture in our society. The following paragraph would unfurl my reflection on this note.

Let us pause for a moment and rewind to instances of the past democratic elections, for its landmark significance to the democratic history of Bhutan and a concert from which lessons are learnt. The political culture and traditions that happen now is partly the result of the ways in which the first democratic election and government went through. The socialization processes of it have a long-lasting impact on the electorates.

For instance, one of the reasons the intellectuals point out for people voting to National Yellow Party during the mock election was its symbolic association with the monarch. In doing so, when the dice of party politics is rolled in the years that succeeded, every party or individual tried maximum association to the monarch. People are cultured or socialized in such a way that the votes are reserved for those candidates and party who could show maximum subjection and obedience to the monarch, which sometimes would be a mere card played for wooing the votes. Similarly, there are numerous other instances which would live for centuries, down the line, as political norms and legitimate culture.

We Bhutanese claim that democracy is a ‘gift from the throne’ and the transition to democracy has come unprecedented in the sense that the transition was peaceful unlike in other democracies. While the Constitution has laid down the foundation for peace and prosperity for all times, the vision of democracy is nestled in the extremes of both ignorance and presumption. These extremes do not come from sheer obliviousness of the democratic processes but out of blind attachment, or rather out of lack of more holistic future.

As and when the democracy keeps growing up in the Bhutanese society, the people’s knowledge has enlarged as much as the ignorance and illegitimate presumption challenge the existing political norms and culture. The people’s demand for grandiose manifestoes in each election is becoming a trend. On the other hand, we could see the scenarios in which the party coordinators and supporters play a part in influencing the people to believe only to one party’s ideology, and creates hatred to the other party and its supporters. Moreover, becoming an interest group and lobbyist by the apolitical institutions such as civil servants and monastic personal is also becoming a trend which is not a feature of a healthy democracy. Through such small but accumulated incidences can divide the society at the grass-root level and that is not the vision of our democracy.

My personal observation over the last three elections is that as much as electorates honour the qualifications and experiences of the candidates, the sentiments and kinship plays a part in bestowing one’s sacred votes. Let’s assume that I am a fresh graduate candidate from my village who is contesting with other experienced elders. I am confident that from my village at least, I would secure the highest vote. A similar thing is certain to have happened in the last elections in our country. Through this, it is obvious that sentiments, instead of rationale, alters whom to vote. In the bigger picture, the stronghold of constituencies to the respective party, which has become a consistent trend, substantiate my reflection.

As a concluding remark, whatever happens, we will have to live by each other as the subject of our Visionary Monarchs. The only solution to incidences which have already become a political trend or culture such as this is the thoughts of His Majesty the King as the guardian of peace and symbol of unity. Having pointed out few incidences which can mislead the purpose of democracy in future, let us always embrace only the good political activities and trends which would become a norm and legitimate culture that would result in healthy democracy down the line. So let us move forward, let us not measure development backwards, let us leverage on the development we see now and aspire more for future, the future of our children. Let us be the custodian of our own development and democracy.

*** Purely written for my self-consumption.

Why gender matters in development?

Why woman matters in development?

Gender has never been an issue in Bhutanese society until the drive for gender equality was coerced by some international agencies working for women and women’s rights. Historical shreds of evidence have it that there never had an instance of gender discrimination in our society. While experts argue that gender issues in Bhutanese society never emerged in the public forum, they also never take into account that there had been a time when a young girl ruled the country after Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel’s theocratic rule. As a matter of requirement, she took the masculine name called Tshokey Dorji. In a community under Trongsa Dzongkhag, a woman heads the households and the tradition has been there from a long time.

However, like many global communities, women were confined to household chores and to make homes. They have basically bestowed the responsibility to cook, wash and sit her children at home. This was also attributed to menial work involved outside home and men, by masculinity, were off to work out of home and involving force and energy. As the global interface evolved over time, menial work became the thing of the past. Machines and mechanization revolutionized the world and it became easier for both man and woman to handle their work. There was no requirement for force and stamina to get the work done as machines carried out the work and the operation of machines involved switching of a button. This must be the point in time when the birth for the notion of gender equality was born.

Gender equality and the campaign, rather coercion of this demand, emerged in Bhutan not earlier than a decade of time. As Bhutan joined the global community and various international agencies, the gender agenda became prominent and came out in every discourse, both international and national forums. At some extents, gender agenda and taking it to the highest policy forums became the basis for international aids. Thus, Bhutanese society was more into taking a chance to receive and benefit from the monetary aids than the ideas and nuances of gender equality.

However, such evolution in our gender arsenal benefited the women at the policy level, the number which is much lesser compared to men. They were provided lots of training, sent abroad to learn gender best practices elsewhere in the world. Laws and policies related to gender, gender equality, gender mainstreaming, gender-responsive budgeting was formulated. At one point in time, deliberations were held whether there should be quota reserved for women in the parliament.

However, nothing has materialized as yet and the women at policy and leadership level have not improved despite efforts being made at all levels. It was interesting to note that the quota system for women that some factions of our society raised was not taken positively by our women. They raised that keeping setting aside a certain number of seats to women in the parliament was a challenge to their capability and it rather provided the space for others to think that women were incapable. Women raised that keeping seats reserved for them would make women more handicapped as privilege comes with shortcomings.

Taking this instance as a linchpin of development, it is explicitly expressed that women in our society think more independently of their wellbeing which is a positive sign in pursuit of development. Literatures have it or rather, it is expressed in honour a woman, which says that ‘behind every successful man, there is a woman.’ If the same is implied to a nation, it is imperative that a woman plays a vital role in society. Unlike earlier days when women prepared meals, did dishes, looked after children and made homes, women today are inevitable section of society for all development programs.

From law-making to policy implementation, leading a scientist team to discovery in ICT, teaching a student to treating a patient, policing a town to rescuing commoners during emergency situations, becoming a successful entrepreneur to a block chain scientist, raising the future of humankind to serving a nation, women in Bhutan has become an integral part of our development journey. Without women participation, any developmental plans and policies would be incomplete because only women understand at length and depth of what is best for women. It is important that women make their presence in any discourse and assert their importance. By involving them, we are doing justice to our society which involves our sisters, daughters, nieces and mother of future development.

Thank your reading.

Gender and Development: Brief Introduction.

Gender and Development: Brief Introduction.

The state policymakers usually ‘consider’ looking into the disparities and alikeness that exists in man and woman’s rights, responsibilities, access to and control over domestic as well as national resources, and voices expressed at the household, community. It is obvious that men and women often have different priorities, constraints and preferences with respect to development and can contribute to, and be affected differently by, developmental process. The differences are not meant for discriminations and prejudices. If taken into account, women’s voices also have the power to change the world.

To enhance effectiveness, these considerations must be addressed in all developmental programs and interventions. If such considerations are not addressed thoughtfully and adequately, the developmental programs and interventions can lead not only to inefficient and unsustainable results, but may also impair existing imbalances. Understanding gender issues can enable projects to take account of these and build capacity to deal with inequitable impacts and to ensure sustainability.

When I talk about Gender Equality herein, I am referring to a combination of legal equality and equal opportunities including opportunities to speak out. More often, this is about making better opportunities in all of these areas for women. 

Legally, women’s rights are protected by many international instruments and laws. The best known is probably the Convention for Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW, 1979) – a UN Treaty adopted by the General Assembly in 1979. Both MDG and SDG have specific goals targeting ‘gender equality and empower all women and girls’. In Bhutan, we have BAOWE, RENEW, NCWC and so on as prominent instrumental organizations which work against inequalities and women empowerment. The origin of this trend dates back to a couple of centuries yet we are still in a similar place.

My assumption is that, it is a result of overly focusing on women empowerment and ignoring the man’s part in it. So, the behaviour of men needs to be addressed in the context of gender works. Unless men challenge themselves as to the ways in which their own behaviour, attitudes and upbringing perpetuate gender inequality, gender injustice and gender violence, nothing will change. Similarly, in the developmental process of society, if man’s behaviour and perception don’t give a heed to accommodate women in it, the latter would lack the opportunities to voice out.

However, I am no way undermining the contributions of women to the world so far. Men have also never neglected the presence of women in the developmental process. Both the genders have been like organs to our bodies. However, women represented only the not-so-important ones. Women were like skin and hairs while men acted like brains and hearts. Comparatively, a man took the responsibilities of state affairs and policy formulation. Therefore, I argue that only a handful of women have been involved in the decision-making process of major developmental programs, until recently. 

https://www.sandiegomagazine.com/features/what-san-diego-women-want/article_c988dd2c-d324-5060-af02-ee8bc2a1c9db.html

And why women should be involved in the developmental process?

Black feminist and identity politics.

Black feminist and identity politics.

Black feminist identity politics can be defined as knowing and understanding one's own identity while taking into consideration both personal experience as well as the experiences of those in history to help form a group of like-minded individuals who seek change in the political framework of society. Personal perception is that it is a process of rejection of oppressive measures taken against one's group, especially in terms of political injustice.

As a background note, one of the black feminist writers, Patricia Hill Collins believes that this 'outsider within' solitude suffered by black women was created through the domestic sphere, where black women were considered separate from the perceived the white elite who claimed their dominance over them. Besides coloured women, they also felt a disconnection between the black men's suffering and oppression. She further adds that, due to white feminists excluding black women from their discourse, black feminists expressed their own experiences of marginalization and empower black consciousness in the society. Due to the diverse experiences of black women in the arena of gender inequality between black men and themselves, and racial discrimination and oppression by the whites (intersectionality), it is imperative not only to Collins but also other black women to speak for and of unjustified personal accounts of black women's oppression.

As I address the term intersectionality herein, identity politics have often implemented race, class, and gender as isolated categories as a means of excluding those who aren't perceived as part of the dominant group. These constructed biases formed from race, class, and gender is what feminist Kimberle Crenshaw believes need to be used, not as a means of degradation, but as a form of empowerment and self-worth. Ignoring these differences only create more of a divide between social movements and other feminists groups, especially in the case of violence against women where the level of violence is associated with components such as race and class.

In addition, there is consensus among the works of literature that the next issue of identity politics is the conflict of group formations and safe spaces for black women. In the 1970s, increased literacy among black women promoted writing and scholarship as an outlet for feminist discourse where they could have their voices heard. As a result, black women sought solace in safe spaces that gave them the freedom to discuss issues of oppression and segregation that ultimately promoted unity as well as a means of achieving social justice.

However, later, as the notion of colour-blindness appeared, where racial the classification does not limit a person's opportunities advocated for integration in institutions, black women faced new issues of identity politics and looked for a new safe space to express their concerns. This was met with a lot of contention as people saw these black female groups as exclusive and separatist. Dominant groups, especially involved in the political sphere, found these safe spaces threatening because they were away from the public eye and were, therefore, unable to be regulated by the higher and more powerful political groups.

Despite the growth in the feminist discourse regarding black identity politics, some men disagree with the black feminist identity politics movement. Some black novelists, such as Kwame Anthony Appiah, uphold the notion of colour-blindness and dismiss identity politics as a proper means of achieving social justice. In the view of him, my personal perception also says that identity politics has been an exclusionary device implemented in black culture and history that limit outsider comprehension and access. At the same time, I believe that identity politics can serve as a foundation where such colour-blindness can finally be achieved in the long run if implemented and understood within society



 Collins., P.H. (2000). Black Feminist Thought (Second ed.). New York, New York: Routledge. p. 299. ISBN 978-0-415-92483-2.

Gender Stereotypes

A gender stereotype is embedded in our veins

Reading has been one of the free-riding activities since my early school days. I used to read books when I felt like and never coerced myself to read if I felt like stopping it. It was only after I met some inspiring people at the end of the school days that I discovered a passion in me for reading. Similarly, writing became part of it although putting ideas into words and then sentence involves a great deal of passion and skills.  I can sense the low arsenal of energy in me because of late,  I have been struggling a lot to identify a topic to write, let alone making it to the end. Publishing into my blog is still a distant dream now. 

Out of sheer coincidence, today I happened to hear a conversation taking place among a group of elderly women in my village and it was sensible enough for me to note it down. As much as their hands were busy pulling out weeds, their lips were busy keeping the flow of conversation going longer. But this time, I found it was a little louder with seriousness in their tone. 

In seriousness, one of them argued that men, no matter whatever weaving skills and interest he would have, should not indulge into things like weaving and brewing liquor which are traditionally accepted as women’s responsibilities. While the rest of them agreed, another added, men, should never put on women’s attire. Cosmetics and beautifying ornaments are only for women. To everyone’s congruence,   I heard a young girl dissenting their stand and demanding reasons for such claims. 

An elderly lady then answered with confidence that these types of work are not in line with the belief that men have accumulated so much merit in their past lives. If they do these types of work, it is believed that they would be reborn in the woman's body in the next life, She went on to say that the life of a woman is inauspicious, unlike man which is considered propitious.  Another lady would, with anonymous reference, assert that a woman is allowed to imitate a man. She can wear gho so that in the next life, she is reborn as a man but a man should never wear Kira.

Their conversation suddenly took me to those days when I had to act as a lady during one of the inter-hostel Baedra competitions in the college. I had with me a few of the first-year boys from my hostel dancing to a girl’s style. In contrast, girls’ dormitories had a cohort of girls who got into men’s attire and tried being a  man. These are the reasons why Sherubtseans take this moment to be a grandiose and everyone would contribute to making the big hall trembles with their loud laughs. But to the context of those women who had to reason out so much, those girls who put on man’s attire were the lucky ones. But poor me, I have defiled myself by acting a lady at the concert. 

From the way they tried to reason out, their minds were clouded with webs of stereotypical construction which seems to be culturally embedded in their blood. I am not sure how far it is proven true culturally or scientifically, but it is obvious that this type of notions widens the gender differences. Theoretically, from the views of gender difference, in oppose to essentialism, this social constructionist views the gender difference or inequality as a synthesis of a various mixture of social structure and cultural construction as a reflection of the different social position one occupies.

My assumption is, in the traditional society, in order to subjugate women by the men, the latter might have produced this type of cultural ways of inferiority which intoxicate women’s thinking that would ensure obedience to them. The Buddhist belief of man being nine lifetimes above women shows men came to the world at least nine lifetimes ahead of women. Did men come to the earth before women? If it is, how did these men come to the world? From the golden ladder-like Buddha Shakyamuni?  

In another belief, in one occasion of Hindu tradition, a cat is supposed to be tied to a pole until the ritual is over. This practice has become a tradition without rationale and it has carried forward through times. The only possible reason behind tying the cat could be to avoid nuisance the cat would create in the middle of the ritual. However, it has become a practice that a family has to look for a cat from elsewhere to be tied to the pole during that ritual performance. 

As I was narrating, they went on adding more. By the time they halted their loud discussion, it was already lunchtime. From the field, I could hear my mom ask if the lunch was ready. I teasingly replied back, “Ama, I decided not to enter the kitchen from today, or else, I may be born a woman. So, I didn’t prepare lunch today. I was chopping wood.” 

After a long time of silence, I could hear them laugh. But what happened to their lunch? 

The HIS and HER!

The His and Her!

When the dawn breaks the sleepy darkness,

She grabs the pot near the earthen hearth,

While the handle of tools touches his tanned hands.

Her hands get coated with the black residue of the pots,

While his legs get dirtied with the muddy field.

She warms up the kitchen with the flame of fire,

When the field around him get lightens by the rising sun.

When the rays of the sun hit the land,

She nourishes the hungry mouths,

While he instructs the blueprint for the day.

She packs the lunch in a delicate leaf,

While he brushes up the blades.

Then he goes away only to sweats in the blazing sun,

While she perspires by the fiery furnace.

When the dusk gradually pushes away the day,

She tidies up to prepare and offer supper to the family,

While he steps in with a bag filled with kinds of stuff.

She pours down the liquor she brewed,

While he sips in driving away from the tiredness of the day.

Then, she slumbers soundly in his arms of security and protection,

While he ponders on the matters of his family.

source: http://homepage.univie.ac.at/Astrid.Fellner/LKVO/January15.htm

Well, the aforementioned lines are a brief yet simple description of daily typical gender roles that exist in a traditional family structure. 

We argue that gender roles are one of the sources of gender inequality and in the modern liberal system of society, the roles between genders have become not limited, but very pervasive. In doing so, the power dynamics in the family are slowly getting changed which challenges the traditional patriarchal structure. However, from one's own perspective, the differentiated gender roles are a source of efficiency and peace in the family. The gender inequality cannot be a problem in the family if both the spouse respect and value each other's love and care.

Thank You for reading 😍😎😍.

Comment down your own perspectives!

  

The Man Box: The battlefield.

The Man Box: The battlefield.

In the Man Box, women are considered no different than any other objects, the property of men, and of less value than men. The teachings of the Man Box allow violence against women, girls, and other marginalized groups to exist. 

We talk about women’s kitchen and men’s battlefield as a distinct arena. Now, we emphasis on fighting against women’s subjugations to men. We stand to empower women. We are occupied by the men- women world, and we talk lots about gender!

Traditionally, manhood has been considered sacred and gifts from God to the family while a girl child has been never invited in the family circle. A boy child has been celebrated and slowly, doomed in the Man Box but we, men didn’t realize it because we have been busy enjoying over the struggle of women.

Let us forget about the women for now, and reflect on the life of men.

For generations, men have been conditioned to compete for status, forever struggling to rise to the top of a vast Darwinian pyramid framed by a simple but ruthless set of rules. But the men who compete to win in our dominant culture of manhood are collectively doomed to fail because the game itself is rigged against us. Unfortunate it is, God does not gift every man with the same bunch of man-ness. We’re wasting our lives chasing a bogus rabbit around a track, all the while convinced there’s meat to be had but there is no meat. We are meat.

So, the man box refers to the brutal enforcement of a narrowly defined set of traditional rules for being a man. These rules are enforced through shaming and bullying, as well as promises of rewards, the purpose of which is to force conformity to our dominant culture of masculinity (Greene, 2019).

The number one rule of the man box? Don’t show your emotions!

In a man box, men are deprived of natural feelings. Men are suppressed of empathy and are supposed to be powerful and dominating, fearless and in control, strong, emotionless, and successful. And yes, I am talking about MEN. There is no one man in which the Man Box builds who is fearless, dominating, and competitive. There are numerous.

So, eventually, the man box teaches man not to be a man but to put us in the world’s greatest race of competition at the expense of the charms of life from the very moment we are born.

The end result is violence, isolation and stress-related diseases for our fathers, brothers, sons, and husbands, and all those who love them. A world of violence and domination, thus, unfurls. Domination, not only over another man but also over the opposite counterpart, the women.

So, gender inequalities, between men and women, are a result of MAN BOX! Am I right?

let us not just focus on correcting the social and cultural construction about men and women, but also emphasize an amendment of the MAN BOX.

This article is my own work, written for the fulfilment of the academic requirements. Any criticisms are most welcome. 

Thank You!

Stay safe.