May-2015-ICE-Today-PDf

Your SpaceCulture VultureBreakingthe StereotypeStaying within the fringesof mainstream culturesAidha Cader hasinculcated anappreciation for Food,History, Travel and Artbeyond her comfort zone.If you think that girls have it hard, thinkagain. There is a lot of stereotyping thatboys have to deal with as well. With ourmen’s issue coinciding with Mother’sDay it’s a good time to refute suchstereotypes.During her ten minute address at theUnited Nation “He For She” Campaignin September 2014, Emma Watsonhighlighted the issue often ignored ingender equality debates. Sheemphasised on the fact that thiswas not just a fight for women’srights but also a fight for men’srights. She said, “I have realisedthat fighting for women’s rightshas too often becomesynonymous with man-hating. Ifthere is one thing I know forcertain, it is that this has to stop.”She also stated, “It is time that weall see gender as a spectruminstead of two sets of opposingideals.” Watson compared andcontrasted the different genderstereotypes challenging theaccepted notion where men feelthe pressure to be aggressive andwomen feel the obligation to besubmissive. Her speech maderipples across social media andopened up the platform for manyissues that men are faced with.This prompted the Vogue Empowercampaign, “Start with the boys.” VogueIndia launched the social awarenessinitiative to celebrate its 7 th anniversarywhich made many of us reflect on whatwe teach our boys, how we stereotypethem and the consequences of suchactions. The core message being that weteach boys not to cry and be sensitive asthose are deemed to be girly traits.Growing up, boys express their viewsthrough aggression and don’t considerwomen as their equals, hence resortingto violence.The term ‘mama's boy’ is consideredBack in timeGender equality wasfirst highlighted byChristine de Pizan’sbook The City ofLadies in 1405. Thebook was based onthe oppression ofwomen, founded onirrational prejudiceswhile pointing out thecontributions made bywomen. With the end ofthe World War II, moregeneral movementstowards gender equalitybased around liberalisationand feminism grew instrength. In 1975 theUnited Nation held its firstworld conference inMexico City to addressgender equality. Theorganisation seeks tocreate equality in law andsocial situations, take thenecessary steps to curbunequal treatment anddiscriminations based ongender.derogatory. However, does a closerelationship with your mother make youless of a man? Does being a mama'sboy actually make you a better man?These are questions I often ask myself204