Gender And Personality

By Alsha K Saji

The class erupted into pandemonium as the water spilt from his bottle to our desks and books. He paid no attention to the clamour as he demanded we clean the mess. Without another thought, I ran to call the janitor, who was nowhere to be seen. I spotted the mop and took it to the classroom. As I started cleaning, the boy and his gang started jeering, about how women were worthless and should do such feculent chores.

Now I wonder, how did he have the audacity to speak to me in such a scandalous manner?

Why are women deemed inferior?

Every woman in this world will have tales of persecution to paint. This being the domicile of both genders, one cannot be seen as subservient.

Evelyn (the name has been changed), my friend, has been a victim of physical bedevilment. She was just seven. She goes...

I could vaguely hear the rhythmic pitter-patter of water from the bathroom, as my dad bathed. I was watching the television while munching on cheese bread. Our family friend, who often used to visit us, was sitting on the couch next to me. Swiftly I felt his hands on my shoulder, I did not bother and kept eating. His hands started travelling down my body. I was uncomfortable by the way he touched my intimate regions. Suddenly the bathroom door opened, and he instantly withdraw his hands. I ran to my room and did not come out until he left.

She told me that she informed her mother about this, who at first did not believe her. Then, later on, her mother advised her what to do under such circumstances.

I remember a movie scene that struck me deep in the heart.

It was past midnight as she walked out of the restaurant. After walking for a while on the now empty streets, she felt someone following her. Swiftly she caught glimpse of a tall, hooded man. She started panicking and quickened her pace. But no matter how fast she walked he kept getting closer. He then ran and stopped in front of her. The night was dark and the street light started flickering. The man approached her as she withdrew. He suddenly held out something. It looked like a phone. “Ma’am, you left your phone at the restaurant.”

The goodness of some men tends to be overshadowed by the bad done by some men because women begin to attribute such behaviour as a permanent characteristic of the opposite gender.

Every girl has anecdotes of abuse to tell. It is so common that it is considered ‘normal’. If a gang of boys jeer at a girl, it is nothing out of the ordinary for her and the crowd. Hence, such instances are ignored. Boys are complimented as manly when they mock girls. Dismissing it as ‘just a stare’ adds manure to such notions.

The seeds of a good character are sown at home. Remarks that stereotype children based on gender get etched in their brains and tend to grow up with them. It is high time we teach our children that it is not about ‘gender’ but about personality.

By Alsha K Saji