By Aiman Raza

What women want from society? Respect, recognition, honor and reward. In Today’s world, women are competing in every sector of the society like teaching, nursing, aeronautic engineering, armed forces and numerous other fields where we think only men can work. They are ahead from men in terms of managing their jobs with utmost responsibilities. They are also managing their homes single handedly. There are innumerable working women in the world who not only excel in their professional life but also proved to be good mothers, good wives, good daughters and good home makers.

But, unfortunately women are still oppressed in the society. They are working women and good home makers but still are not given respect by the men. They are still fighting for their existence in the world. If we talk about women’s rights then many people debate that women are given so many rights, there is quota system for them in jobs, schools & colleges. Recently many laws are introduced for the protection of women. But my question is that if there are so many laws, so many opportunities for women they why acid attacks on women are always rising in the world. Bangladesh has been reporting the highest number of acid attacks on women as 3,512 Bangladeshi people were acid attacked between 1999 and 2013. Similar situation is witnessed in Pakistan where at least 160 women have been acid attacked in year 2015.

Why 9 out of every 10 victims of rape are female in the United States, where a rape is reported in every 6.2 minutes; and one in five women raped at least once in her lifetime. The rape and horrible murder of a young woman in a bus at New Delhi on December 16, 2012 was treated as an exceptional incident. According to human activist & lawyer Asma Jahangir “up to seventy-two percent of women in prison are physically or sexually abused in Pakistan”.

Why domestic violence is still on the peak, why harassments at workplace still exist, why glass ceiling still exist for females only. All these happen because there is no respect for women in the eyes of society especially the male. They think woman are nerd, nuts and psycho and their only purpose is to stay at homes, take care of their home and family, that’s it. If anyone in the family had the right to make decisions he is the MAN only and not anyone else. We see similar thinking in the cooperate sector and in the other professions where male workers don’t want to work under female bosses. They think female is not boss rather female is bossy. They say female is clingy, pushy, selfish, nagging and emotional.

Glass ceiling is a big issue in today’s world, recently in American election 2016, the presidential candidate Hilary Clinton addressed the woman at her concession speech and said “and to all the women who put their faith in this campaign and me, I want you to know that nothing has made me prouder than to be your champion. I know we have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling, but I know someday someone will, and hopefully sooner than we might think right now and to all the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and deserving of every chance, to pursue your own dreams”.

I cannot understand why we not see women even human being? Women are humans first, they need as much respect as men demand, and they want as much reward as men both at their workplace and home. Things will only change when mothers at home will start teaching their sons to respect other women, whether she is his sister, mother, grandmother, cousin, aunt, colleague or classmate.

When seniors will change in the society we will start seeing progress. Only making laws cannot change things but teaching manners can definitely change things. When fathers will teach sons to respect females and give credit to them at workplaces as the offer to males at work. When fathers will teach sons to talk politely with females, when fathers will start giving respect to their wives and daughters then sons will definitely learn. As we all know that our parents are our role models. Children learn from their parents and environment of their homes, if fathers are insulting their wives, not giving rights to their daughters and not respecting their female co-workers then how you expect their sons to behave well with females. We need to change the mindset of the people; respect is a two way communication, the more you give the more you receive.

In our society it’s become a habit that if males do something wrong we all forgive them and says “Koi baat nhi larkey tou asia kerty rahity hain”. This phrase killed many women, raped many women and made thousands of acid victims. This is our responsibility that if something wrong happens in our home; whether from our sons, brothers or husbands we should first take stand against them, if we can’t stop one bad thing then how could you expect that others will do best with you; what goes around comes around.

It’s now responsibility of parents to teach moral values and manners to their sons as they mostly and only teach to their daughters. If you being a father want your daughter to get good husband, or getting respect from society and being safe at the workplace and travel freely & safely in any part of the world without fear of being humiliated then start teaching your sons manners, start punishing your sons when they do wrong not giving them plenty by saying “Koi bat nhi Larka hai”.

I believe that if this will start happening; then soon we will start seeing the decrease of violence and injustice against woman in our society. A woman is not a commodity or a toy of amusement but a real partner of man; who has rights of her own and deserves utmost respect. Women don’t want quota system, don’t want money, don’t demand extra favors for being a woman, even don’t want less working hours at the job rather they only want respect, honour and security from men. Women want assurance that they will be respected being a human being. They want equal opportunities at workplaces without facing any glass ceiling; they need security that she will not be humiliated if they came home alone at night from work or shopping.​

The writer is a marketing and research analysts.