As much as we would want to believe otherwise, it’s very easy to notice how differently sons and daughters are raised in our society. It doesn’t really matter where they live or what background they come from, this common story represents a majority of the population on a global level. As little girls of today become the women of tomorrow, it’s important for them to have a voice and a mind of their own and that is exactly what we have been teaching our daughters. This has come behind a deliberate shift made by the last few generations of parents, to bring up their daughters to be strong and independent. But, as we speak about gender equality, we are missing the whole picture. There are some areas that we’re subconsciously ignoring which need our attention.
Recently, the one ad that really struck the right chord is Ariel‘s #ShareTheLoad, a video that features a mother-son duo. Ariel has been talking about this for quite some time now, and we love their heartwarming and insightful take on this topic. In under a few minutes it beautifully portrays the disparity between raising a daughter and a son, and finally questions the main issue. Here’s the video we are talking about:
Isn’t it a much-needed wake-up call for our society? What makes it heartening and compelling is the promise of a positive change, for sure.
Change Always Begins At Home
Keeping in mind the topic of gender equality, we’ve come a long way in changing our parenting style when it comes to daughters. But what about the sons? And what about the inequality INSIDE of the households? It should no longer be a ‘girl’s’ job! The simple act of learning to do chores at home like cleaning the dishes and doing laundry, among others can help our sons become self-sufficient too. When the sons of today’s generation are taught to share the load, they become husbands of tomorrow who are more empathetic and equipped as well as capable of being truly equal partners. This sets the base for a balanced household, and each such household moves our society forward into a more equal tomorrow!
In today’s world where men and women have equal professional responsibilities, it is only fair to #ShareTheLoad for the household chores too, right? This thought should be seeded at an early age so that the next generation has the right values of equality inculcated.
There are many ways in which this can be done. An open conversation about gender equality, both outside and inside the home, will help kids understand the opposite sex better. Children copy and learn what they see around, so as first role models for children, so it’s equally important for parents that our actions speak loudly about gender equality. It’s also essential for parents to make sure that kids are exposed to the role models who believe in the idea of #ShareTheLoad. These might just be a few, tiny steps that can help in raising our sons and daughters with equal values but can have a much larger impact on our society in the future.
So, here’s a question for all of us: Are we teaching our sons what we have been teaching our daughters?
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This post is in partnership with Ariel India.