Thursday, November 1, 2007

Equality - The True Gauge Of A Humane And Just Society


How often do we read about articles lambasting the great inequality of the sexes? How women are treated as second class citizens in their own countries? How wives are abused physically, mentally and emotionally by their own husbands? How in some countries, women are looked upon as mere sex objects by the male populace? And how often do we see female libertarians stand up and cajole their female constituents to band together and fight such discriminations and abuse in their countries to no avail?

Why? Because females by nature are docile and timid. They would rather suffer in silence than go against the established norms of society, where females are perceived to be inferior to men. Tradition and culture play a significant role in this acquiescence of the female populace to the roles delineated to them by society that were mostly crafted by men.

Women must learn to stand up and fight for their own rights. Gone are the days when men looked upon them as mere wives and mothers of their broods who must be the eternal slaves of the home and the marital room.

Women must first treat and respect themselves as co-equal with their men and stand on their own. Women must assert their inalienable rights by learning to say "NO". And they have to stand by it no matter what the consequences may be.

It is sad to note that during times of courtship, men literally give their women heaven and earth and everything that their women fancy. Men give them their undivided attention, profess their undying love for them to high heavens, promise them rose gardens, are so generous and thoughtful to them, and guard and protect them to death against rival suitors.

Alas, after they are married and after the honeymoons are over and the pressure of their peer groups (usually drinking buddies) mount, the timid and lovestruck grooms suddenly become the abusive lords and masters of the house. She is then relegated to become a veritable slave who has to clean the house, take care of the kids, wash and iron their clothes, cook their meals, wash the dishes and do all kinds of houseworks from morn till night.

And after their riotous drinking sprees are over, she becomes now the object of her husband's libidinous desires no matter how tired and unwilling she might be for such a tryst. It does not matter if he smells terrible, reeking with liquor, cigarettes and viands and sometimes smelling of urine in his pants. If she is unwilling, the drunk husband forces himself on her and she has to suffer the ignominy and pain of a marital rape.

Women legislators of all countries must craft laws that provide equal rights and protections for their female citizens against abuse and discriminations even by their own husbands. Prenuptial agreements must be signed by both groom and bride and their respective parents or guardians stipulating the basic and inalienable rights of the bride in their conjugal home. Any violation of said agreement by the husband can give the victim wife all the rights to sue her abusive husband. The state must guarantee the full implementation of these laws. Then and only then can true equality of the sexes be attained.

Remember wives, the first step to emancipation from abusive husbands is to learn to say "NO" and standing by it no matter what happens.

I Am Woman - Helen Reddy (1972) Australia


Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla
Philippines
Human Rights/Female Emancipation

Footnotes: This article was inspired by a similar article written by Ms. Sameera of India. We are glad to note that such discriminations are less in developed countries but they still prevail in third world and developing countries, particularly in Asia and Africa.

25 comments:

Noushy Syah said...

Such discriminations are less in developed countries but they still prevail in third world and developing countries, particularly in Asia and Africa....

Sorry for those women really,when they treated women as the 2nd class citizen and as 'a sex slave'..I do not know much about women lib's but I do believe this is purely bcoz of ignorance and attitude too....

It isn’t easy to change tradition overnight. However, the shocking levels of violence against women,domestic violence or gender discrimination,perhaps could be eliminated by making into law which gives women rights to property currently denied them in traditional marriages or domestic violence aimed at criminalizing the scourge.

I do believe that gender equality and the well-being of children go hand in hand!! Rite Mel?It takes 2 to make a baby, so why would women be less treated than men?To me, gender equality is not only morally right, it is pivotal to human progress and sustainable development.

p/s Aghh actually too much too write here perhaps the equivalent entry as your Mel..hahhaha...NVM let's others voice out their opinion too on this issue..

Have agr8 w/end Mel..

Arthur said...

That's right Mel. You know? Here, in Argentina, our new president is a pretty woman (I don't know her name), and I'm proud of it.

Anyways, I have my Mother, my aunts, my female cousins, and thanks to my niece, I knew about American Hi-5.

Big greetings and big hugs

Sweet Dreams, from the bottom of my Heart:
Arthur

Gusthav said...

Hi Mel, you know, sex discrimination is weaker everytime in American coutries, and, 'cause our new president is a woman (I don't remember her name) we'll sent away this kind of discrimination and violence.

Thanks for your visits to my poll.

Greetings and hugs

Nice Day, with my whole soul:
Gusthav

Mississippi Songbird said...

This post was very enlightening.. God bless you and your family. I hope you have a good weekend...

Anonymous said...

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Sameera Ansari said...

Finally I get to read what you promised last month!

Could not agree more with you Mel.It's excellent!Your every word stands as a cry for this injustice which takes place everywhere in the world,almost in every household.I really appreciate your views about this issue.Your thoughts are very just,fair,and noble.God Bless..

p.s.That was very kind of you to mention what inspired the article :)

Mel Avila Alarilla said...

Hi Adam,
You must be mistaken. I never asked you about any abs diet. You must be referring to somebody else. Anyway, thanks for dropping by and for your comments. Smile. Have a nice and peaceful day.

Mel Avila Alarilla said...

Hi Noushy,
You are very right about your opinion. Women must be treated by men as their co-equal. I think educated women are less prone to violence than their uneducated sisters. Those who suffer maltreatment and battering from their uncaring husbands are mostly those who are not well versed with their rights as coequal citizens of their countries. You can post your comments as long as you want. There is no limit here to the length of one's comments. I love to read each and every word that you will say. They're music to my ears. He, he, he, *lol* Whenever I see that you have a comment in my post, it perks up my day. It's like the dawning of a new and sunny day, full of hope and sunshine. You will always be welcome in my blog, my dear friend. Here, I treat you like a royal princess, entitled to all kind of pleasantries. Smile always. Have a wonderful and sun shinny day.

Mel Avila Alarilla said...

Yes Arthur, I read about it in the newspapers. You have a very beautiful lady President. I hope she does well. I heard she was a former first lady of your ex President? She beat Hilary Clinton to the draw. If Hilary wins the US presidency, Argentinians must be proud that your lady President was elected ahead of Hilary. Nice to hear from you again Arthur. Smile always. God bless and have a sunny and pleasant day.

Mel Avila Alarilla said...

Hi Gusthav,
Nice to hear from you too. Yes, you all must be proud of your beautiful lady President. I hope she can galvanize your nation to propel Argentina to the height of progress and prosperity. I hope you will beat Arthur in your next on line video game. He, he, he, *lol* As I said, my bet's on you kid to beat him this time. He, he, he, *lol* Greetings to the two most avid fans of American Hi5 in all of Argentina. Smile always. God bless and have a wonderful and exciting Hi5 day.

Mel Avila Alarilla said...

Thanks Mississippi Songbird. I have been so delighted by your posts too. They're so homey and motherly and they project the best side of American life. Thanks for your usual visit. Smile always. God bless and have a peaceful and sun shinny weekend.

Mel Avila Alarilla said...

Hi Crescenet,
I had a hard time translating your comments in the Babel Fish translator. Anyway, I got your message and I will be thinking it over. As for your other request that I put your name on my blog roll, no problem about that. Your wish is my command. Thanks for your visit and for your comments. Have a nice and pleasant day.

Mel Avila Alarilla said...

Hi Sameera,
You may be new in my blog but I hold you in the highest esteem and honor. I like everything that you write. They are so sensible, poignant, and so full of life, hope and dreams. I can see that we have very similar aspirations in life. I learn to really appreciate the writing styles and the erudition of bloggers from India through you, Jim and the other well versed bloggers from India. (How do you call the citizens from India, Hindus or Indians?) I don't want to err in addressing your citizens. (Indians may refer to the Indians in America and Hindus may refer to adherents of Hinduism) Please enlighten me on this subject matter. I really have to mention your name because it was from your previous article that I got my inspiration for this post. You really inspired me a lot. And that is (women's liberation) a cause worth fighting for. Thanks for your usual visit. Smile always. Have a nice and peaceful weekend.

JLee said...

It is so sad but true that so many women are treated so badly. My own mother was physically and emotionally abused and I will never allow such treatment of myself or my daughter!

Anonymous said...

This is a very insightful entry, bro. mel.

God bless you.

Mel Avila Alarilla said...

Hi Jlee,
Actually such abuse of women are more prevalent in third world countries. There's so much awareness of rights in America and in the developed countries that abuse are not so widespread. If abuse can happen in America, it is tacitly tolerated by the woman herself. All women must learn to stand by her primordial right to be equal with men in everything. They must not be misled by the mindset placed on them by society that they are the "weaker sex." In fact, in all honesty, I dare say that women nowadays can be considered to be the "stronger" sex. Women are more resilient, patient, enduring, emotionally strong when placed in a difficult situation. They are mature minded and can easily adapt to situations. They don't have the male pride that has been the downfall of so many men. And women can love so infinitely more than men can do. The focus of the woman is her family and home, whereas the focus of man is his own so called "achievements," his job and his buddies, and his family and home usually take the backseat in his own scheme of things. So sad to hear that your mother was a battered housewife. Thanks for your visit. Smile always. God bless and have a peaceful and family oriented day.

Mel Avila Alarilla said...

Thanks for your visit sis Emmyrose, and thanks too for your nice comments. I'm glad you had a wonderful birthday celebration. Belated Happy Birthday again. Smile always. God bless and have a peaceful and wonderful day.

Noushy Syah said...

wowoow Mel..I'm delighted with your compliments and treatments!!

THank you Mel,I don't deny that you're such a good host and I feel so welcomed and comfortable voicing my 2cents...but again we agree to disagree rite?

Have a good SUnday and keep smiling yea.

Preetilata【ツ】 said...

hi!! m visiting ur blog fr the fist time. n i must say that its absolutly brilliant.
this particular post is indeed a masterpiece. i 2 agree with u that women themselves hv 2 stand first if they wnt 2 stop this abuse. one single step taken by a women will tk the whole women grp far more ahd. thnx fr such a gr8 post.
n to mention sameera is really a masterpiece. she is beyond compare.

for ur info... we call the ppl of India "Indian" or "Bharatiya" or "Hindustani"as Bharat and Hindustan are another names of India. Hindu is associated with the religion.

really a nice blog n a nice post.

tk cr
:) :) :)

Sameera Ansari said...

Once again,I am overwhelmed by your kind words.Thank you so very much.

The people of India are called Indians.The Red Indians have no connection with us whatsoever :)

Hindus are people who have embraced the faith of Hinduism,just like Muslims of Islam and Christians of Christianity.I hope this clarified your doubt.

There is so much to India and I could go on about it for hours together.There are so many other religions like Jainism,Zohrastrianism,Buddhism,Sikhism and many many more followed in my country,not to mention a variety of languages and medley of dialects.Yet people co-exist and in spite of all its shortcomings,there is "unity in its diversity",as every Indian kid is taught in Civics class in school :)

Mel Avila Alarilla said...

Hi Noushy,
I could not get your point on agreeing to disagree. I don't recall any instance when I disagreed with you. Anyway, I give everybody the right to disagree with me on any point and I never take it personally against them. I am most generous with my praise and commendations. It's the least I can do to all those who go to the trouble of venturing in my blog. I consider it an extreme honor and privilege to be visited by anyone and I make them feel at home and I treat them like royalty. You will always be a dear friend of mine no matter what. Thanks for your usual visit. Smile always and have a wonderful and warm day in foggy London.

Mel Avila Alarilla said...

Hi Preetilata,
Welcome to my blog and thank you very much for your very generous comments. I do not personally accept the compliments for myself but to God be the glory. I am just a humble extension of His divine wisdom and grace. I will be linking you with my blog and will visit your own blog. Thanks for the information about how to call the citizens of India. I honestly feel that women must look at themselves not as object of desire and object of lust for men, but as well rounded personalities to be admired not only for their physical looks and attributes, but more so on what they can contribute to society as a whole. In other words, they must avoid the tendency to attract the opposite sex on mere physical appearances but as a holistic being possessing so many wonderful traits and attributes. Then and only then can the inequality of the sexes be erased and the woman be accorded her rightful place in society. Never sell yourself short to men dominated society. Strive for equal rights and opportunities no matter what the consequences may be. Thanks again for visiting my blog. Smile always. Have a nice and pleasant day.

Mel Avila Alarilla said...

Hi Sameera,
Thanks again for visiting my blog. You are always welcome here to share your wisdom and wit to my blog. Thanks for enlightening me as to what I must call the people of India. I love India and her rich heritage, traditions and culture. I studied Hinduism and Buddhism and have read the Bhagavad Ghita and other ancient Hindu literatures. I admire Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore. I love your music especially your sitar. I read the book of Yogananda Mahesh Yogi.
I've read so many books and novels about India and am fascinated by your grandiose past. The tradition of suthee or widows burned alive alongside their dead husband fascinated me so much. I've read the enlightenment of Prince Siddartha at the great Ganges river as he became the great Gautama Buddha. The lives of your many saints and avatars never cease to amaze me. I can go on and on and on. Not even the biggest library in the world can ever contain the great richness of Indian history, culture, religion and language. Scholars say that Sanskrit is the most perfect alphabet and language and can be considered the mother of all languages. And your great erudition in writing as well as other Indian bloggers like Jim have further bolstered my great admiration for the people of India. Right now your government is helping the Philippines come out with our own cheaper medicine facilities. So long have we been under the stranglehold of the rich multinational pharmaceutical giants
who have imposed very exorbitant
prices for life saving medicines. Prices of medicines here in the Philippines are sometimes a hundred or a thousand times higher than those in India. Now you know that I'm a great fan of India. I love to visit your country in the near future. Thanks for visiting my blog regularly. Smile always. Have a wonderful and peaceful day.

Miss Kurdapya said...

Kuya Mel,

I beg to disagree....maybe that was before.. Spanish period but not in the new Millennium..

i always believed in Women's Rights and Empowerment the Gender Equality in the New Millennium.

if we have cases, it's because they allows it to happens.

Mel Avila Alarilla said...

Hi Miss Kurdapya,
It is not a matter of agreeing or disagreeing. For you and for all the others who have education and can stand for their own rights, this will never be a problem. But for the millions more who are suffering around the world, inequality, battering and all sorts of abuses are still very prevalent. That is the reason why, I made an exhortation for all women to stand up for their rights. Majority of the cases of annulment of marriages and divorces stem from one form of abuse or another. Marital infidelity and its concomitant traumas is an example of emotional and mental abuse. Men get away with all kinds of abuses against women simply because the women allow them to do so. Anyway, you have all the right to disagree with my article. I always give people the right to disagree with me. Thanks for your visit and comments. I do respect them. Believe you me. God bless and have a wonderful and peaceful day.


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