Listen up ya’ll….I’m da Beech!!
Chauvinism is extreme and unreasoning partisanship on behalf of a group to which one belongs, especially when the partisanship includes malice and hatred towards a rival group. A frequent contemporary use of the term in English is male chauvinism, which refers to the belief that males are superior to females. – Wikipedia.org
I’m struck by the irony of it all. When I was asked to write an article on ‘chauvinistic views’, there couldn’t have been a more opportune moment to put forth my views on what is a way of life in my country.
Male chauvinism is almost as bad a term as male bastion. Or the locker room; impregnable fortresses of testosterone and sweat. An abundance of everything masculine, these terms are the very embodiment of a gender divide that has lead to gender inequality in every part of the world.
How do chauvinistic views affect me as a young adult? Why indeed are we dissecting it? And for crying out loud, what on earth are chauvinistic views?
I believe that anything men can do, I can do better. But I think it unfair to have to prove myself, time and again, about being the superior genetic makeup in this heap of genomes that surrounds us.
For as far back as I can remember, geriatric members of innumerable seemingly progressive but fundamentally parochial Indian families have supported and indeed, encouraged male chauvinism and their chauvinistic views.
Come home before dark. Don’t talk to strangers. Don’t go here. Don’t do that. Don’t wear this. Always travel with your brother/father/husband when you travel to such and such place.
The list is endless.
Agreed that some of the above are actually relevant – given that we are surrounded by psychopathic anti-social elements that threaten the well being of most women living in my city, other’s border on archaic paranoia and have no thread of logic running through them.
“You can’t become a pilot because that’s a man’s job.”
“It’s ok for your brother to go hiking – girl’s need to indulge in needle work instead.”
“A woman’s place is in the kitchen.”
“Your brother is free to pursue his career, you need to get married.”
It makes my skin crawl to hear these clichéd-cheesy-dialogues. It’s bad enough that we have to endure these idiosyncrasies in the entertainment we’re subjected to. A reminder of my alleged inadequacies at home would surely drive me up the wall!
So what is the basis of chauvinism? How did it all start?
For this, we need to backtrack to a few centuries before the present. Chauvinism has been well documented in religious scriptures and related texts on social behavior pertaining to men and women. One of the most popular and controversial texts in Hindu literature is the Manu Smriti. This elaborate monologue is the magnum opus literary production of chauvinistic views and chauvinism as a whole.
Considered socially relevant, the Manu Smriti describes in detail the dos and don’ts for the masculine of the species. Pushing their female counterparts in the shadows of home and hearth is a popular theory that runs through the length and breadth of this tome.
Likewise, other cultures in the world have supported various archaic embargoes on seemingly innocuous concepts of clothing, vocation, social etiquette, decorum et al.
The root cause of these has been the need to preserve and perhaps protect what is considered the weaker sex.
Women or the female of the species as it were, have been considered the weaker sex since the dawn of civilization. Stereotypical examples of this hoard virtually every Hindi movie produced since technology made it possible to craft celluloid.
Women couldn’t participate in warfare. Neither could they fend for their families by working outside of the home. This used to be an unruly world (and probably still is in more ways than one) and chauvinism was born in an attempt to protect women from the lascivious leering of the Neanderthal man.
So really, what it boils down to is brute force.
Fortunately, I was born into a family where there is no distinction between my brother and I. Indeed, I have the say to veto on decisions that involve the family and I’m given a free hand to pursue my dreams. My parents have provided me with a canvas that stretches beyond the horizon and I can paint it any color I want. My opinions are important and I’m frequently given impetus and encouragement to hone my unique abilities and develop a personality that is all mine.
It’s time we all wake up to the revolution that feminists and advocates of equal rights & gender equality have sparked in every corner of the world.
Women, don’t NEED chauvinism. There is NO such thing as a male bastion.
I am proud to belong to the gender that has sired the likes of Saudamini Deshmukh, Anita Roddick, Indira Gandhi, Kalpana Chawla, Orianna Falacci, Sania Mirza, Golda Meir, Kiran Bedi, Oprah Winfrey, Indira Nooyi, Mother Teresa, Barkha Dutt, Medha Patkar, Aung San Suu Kyi, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Margaret Thatcher, Germaine Greer, Angela Merkel, Hanan Ashrawi and so many more!
These women achievers have made a difference in many ways. They have challenged the prevailing wisdom, ideas, tags, stereotypes that governed the way the world looked at women.
Women bring a much more humane touch, wisdom and practical solutions to problems of all fits and sizes.
So the next time you decide to deride me because of my gender, remember this:
“The hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world”
P.S: The above post is part of my familial duties as an elder sibling in the family. My abominably-fire-brand-of-a-sister is the editor of her school paper and will never know how vicious and profane the original draft was. I’m not sure if there’s any brownie point’s she’ll ferret for this. But lord knows, she OWE’S me one!
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