10/16/2014

Mrunal Women Rights: Essay Fodder from Emma Watson Speech

- Mrunal - http://mrunal.org [Women Rights] Essay Fodder: Emma Watson on Gender equality, Views of new NCW Chief
1. Prologue
2. Emma Watson: Gender equality
1. What is Feminism?
2. Gender Equality: What and Why?
3. Men too face Gender inequality
4. Gender stereotypes
3. Views of New NCW chief:
4. Mock Questions

Prologue
Combining two topics from current affairs- mainly for Essay fodder.
September week2: Emma Watson speech on Gender equality
October Week1: Views of new NCW chairman

Emma Watson: Gender equality

Emma Watson, former star of Harry Potter movie series and now UN women global goodwill ambassador. Her
speech for UN campaign HeForShe to end gender inequality.
Emma Watson He for she campaign gender equality

What is Feminism?
Feminism by definition is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.
It is the theory of political, economic and social equality of the sexes.
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Mrunal Women Rights: Essay Fodder from Emma Watson Speech

It doesnt mean men are inferior.

A Feminist doesnt mean aggressive, man hater person.

Gender Equality: What and Why?

Gender Equality is achieved when
1. Women are paid equally as men, and given equal social respect.
2. Women are allowed to take decision about themselves, their education, career and family planning.
3. Women are allowed to participate in nations policy making.
Such, gender equality will bring more true and complete version of human being. BUT, no country in the world, has
achieved gender equality.
The reform process is so slow in Africa, itd take 2086 before all African girls get enrolled in secondary school.
Gender sensitiveness and gender-equality needs equal participation from men. It cant be achieved by creating
awareness among women alone.
Men should join the campaign for gender inequality, so that their mothers, sisters and daughters can live free
from prejudice.

Men too face Gender inequality

Issue of Gender equality is not just confined to women but its issue of male community as well. Men do not enjoy
gender equality either. For example:
Father is less valued as a parent than mother in the society.
Men prefer to suffer rather to ask for help for fear it will make him less of man
Men are fragile and insecure by a distorted sense of male success.
Higher suicide rate in men

Gender stereotypes
Gender Sterotypes put restriction on both men and women. For example
Girls are prevented to join sports and boys are prevented to express their feelings
Liberating men from such stereotypes can bring freedom to women.
If men dont have to be aggressive in order to be accepted, women wont feel compelled to be submissive.
Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive.
Both men and women should feel free to be strong
Gender should be seen as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals.
We should stop defining each other by what we are not, and start defining ourselves by who we are.
Sidenote: India has contributed $1 million to UN womens body. Official name: United Nations Entity for Gender
Equality and the Empowerment of Women. India founding member. Contributed 1 billion$ for its 2014 budget

Views of New NCW chief:

Lalitha Kumaramangalam, Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW) gave an interview, providing
some more fodder on the same topic:
About Love Jihad
It is a social problem and not religious one. Intermarriages are becoming common and society is bound to resist
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10/16/2014

Mrunal Women Rights: Essay Fodder from Emma Watson Speech

any such change.

There are a little over 800 women for 1,000 men. Extrapolate that to the countrys population. There are just
not enough women. Hence we see cases of one woman being married off to more than one man and bridebuying in Punjab, Haryana and even northern Uttar Pradesh, irrespective of castes and religions
About Khap Panchayats:
Even if the Courts, Police, and NCW protect a couple seeking help from Khap Panchayat, they would still be on the
run for the rest of their lives because society is not ready to change its mindset.
Violence
Violence against women, is not confined to rape and beating at home.
Malnutrition, lewd SMSs, cybercrimes, deprivation, no sanitation facilities in schools, along highways, these are
all examples of violence too
Her wishes:
That Womens Reservation Bill would be tabled in the winter session of Parliament and Nirbhaya fund is utilized
properly.
That NCW be given more powers to enforce its recommendations.

Mock Questions
Write essay on following topics
1. The gender equality will bring more true and complete version of human being
2. Daughter aversion. (Context- deep seated patriarchal mindsets leading to the preference for sons over
daughters.)
3. Not only women but men also need to participate on an equal footing in gender justice.
4. Healthy mothers and healthy children are crucial for India to realize the demographic dividend. (Melinda Gates)
5. The promise of women empowerment is hollow without breaking away from gender stereotypes first.
6. Gender is a matter of culture without which either a man or a woman cannot lead a harmonious life.
Published on 10/10/2014 @ 9:10 pm under Category: polity
URL to article: http://mrunal.org/2014/10/women-rights-emma-watson-speech-gender-equality.html
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10/16/2014

Mrunal Women Rights: Essay Fodder from Emma Watson Speech

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