We have a bias in our minds. Even the strongest amongst us, sometimes feels, she CAN’T! Are you one of them? This International Women’s Day seeks to Break The Bias in areas where bias has crept in.
Can women hold a job & tend to their family? Can the concept of a fair, competent lady boss replace the vision of an angry, disgruntled one? Bias exists with men too. Can we stop assuming men have zero emotional needs, little boys are not vulnerable to sexual harassment & husbands must earn for the entire family, fathers not change pampers, prep dinner, or have a live-in mother-in-law?
We are conditioned as a society, to outline inflexible gender roles & be intolerant towards new ones. We are guilty of not facilitating change. When we enable new generations to learn new ways of learning, living, eating, wearing, entertaining themselves & socializing, we are not fluid in our gender expectations too.
There is no progress without change. And half change will merely hold the other half back. So men & women, you need to change together. Parents & children too. Teachers & students, our leaders, as well as those who are led.
So what’s the Bias we all need to break? That we must all break it together.
This Is How I Plan To Break The Bias
I feel women drive change on multiple fronts. Balancing a job and family, tending to aging parents & young children, breaking into traditionally male-oriented careers like coding, STEM, and military. Yet, there are many among us who, despite all the courage in the world, are hesitant to take the first step.
This year March 8th Women’s Day, I make a pledge to start with myself. I want to challenge myself to break the bias within my mind, my thinking and my attitude. Every time my mind says I CAN’T because I’m not strong enough, smart enough, experienced enough, young enough, or… man enough, I will say I CAN…not despite the fact that I’m a woman, but BECAUSE of it!
But that’s not all, I ask the men to follow suit. And join us. Every time you feel you can’t help in the home, prep dinner, plan a birthday party, ask her to take on a job because you can’t do it alone, change a pamper, give her space to express herself in new ways, & yourself too, you CAN!
