Patriarchy refers to male dominance in a relationship, whereby men control and dominate the relationship. A patriarchal system supports promotes male privilege.
Socialization of girls starts happening at a very young age when they are always taught to put their family first and then themselves.
While boys , at the same age are never burdened with any such responsibilities.
They are taught the basic skills of cleaning, washing, and cooking during their teenage years. They are often told and taught to take care of their younger siblings.
Therefore, they are expected to mature faster than boys and they often do mature faster because they are held hostage with tough responsibilities from a young age.
And even when the girls are pursuing higher education, they are supposed to multitask and perform household chores along with their education.
The same is the fate of a working woman
In most cases, she is to ask permission from her in-laws , for work after marriage , and even then made sure that her responsibility is to manage both work and home
Such women perform double labor in which the only one is recognized. Meanwhile, men have minimum contribution in household chores as well as in bringing up a child. This inequality in the structure of a family is problematic.
Due to this division of labor in the family, the identity of women is seen, as someone’s daughter, mother, or wife but never as her own self
This reproduces oppression and inequality being sprouted from within the family. To tackle this problem, there should always be a conversation around the distribution of work based on the gender
Holding the male figures in the family accountable and making them aware of the injustice and what should be done to change, is always a great step.
Young boys should be sensitized about the unequal distribution of work in the family and should be taught the basic skills of household chores, which their sisters learn at the same age
In order to change the greater structure of patriarchy, it is very necessary to start within our own home by questioning this family structure that fuels the oppression of women.
Written by Saniya Yadav
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