From problematic ancient ideologies to cultural stereotyping; A guide to overcoming inequality in the face of cultural conservatism

“Race, gender, religion, sexuality, we are all people and that’s it.” - Connor Franta

What is equality? Equality is ensuring every human being is treated with every ounce of love and respect that they deserve and giving everyone a fair chance at life realizing that, regardless of our different skin tones, genders and faiths; we are all the same on the inside. So why is it so difficult for society to digest the concept of equality?

Inequality comes in various forms: whether it’s being called a disgrace because you love a person from the same gender or with an age gap, being undermined because you’re a woman, or being looked down on because you are from a “low-class family”.

We have seen discrimination amongst genders exist since the beginning of time. Men are stereotyped to be strong and capable while women have been portrayed as weak and powerless beings. Even at present, women’s efforts to acquire the power they deserve are often laughed at, and even in instances where they achieve high feats, the world reacts to it as if they’ve done the impossible, when in fact, women soaring to these levels should be normalized.

Moreover, we judge everyone around us based on our economical differences. Whether it’s the farmers that provide us with food, the construction workers who build the homes we live in, the teachers who work tirelessly to educate us: No matter how small we consider these professions to be, they all contribute to our lives and are a vital clockwork in the functioning of our society.

Srilanka too has experienced discrimination in various forms. The 30- year- old war that began with the small flicker of hatred towards the Tamil community is proof of how discrimination has the potential to erupt into a massive catastrophe that is bound to be destructive. It has been eleven years since the war ended and while there is a newfound respect for harmony amongst citizens despite racial indifferences, especially in the northern parts of the nation that was previously a warzone, the scars of racial disparities have not completely healed. We see many instances of racial bias, and a fluctuating blame game whenever our nation is subjected to various issues.

In the instance of the Easter bomb attacks, while the nation sympathized with our Christian citizens, they were also quick to accuse the Muslims as the responsible party for these attacks. Islamaphobia was spread out through society and a wave of outrage was directed towards our fellow Muslim citizens, making them feel unsafe for a crime they were not guilty of. Society failed to identify that the general Muslim community is victimized by these extremist terrorist groups who were responsible for these attacks.

Even with regards to gender discrimination, while Sri Lanka is far more progressive and accepting of women, we still see an abundance of scenarios where females receive unfair treatment and are being told that they are ‘ not good enough’. Most of our nation’s toxic ideologies that undermine feminism come from age- old stereotypes. Whether this arises in the form of abuse, body shaming, wage gaps, or toxic workplace culture, it shames one half of our society that has equal potential.

While women face these challenges, men too go through several hardships, and sadly, neither issue is talked about enough. The suppression of males’ emotions, with phrases such as ‘ boys don’t cry’ plays a heavy role in the mental state of many individuals causing a great deal of strain and anxiety upon them.

Even though more people are speaking up against discrimination now when compared to the older days, we still have a long path ahead of us. A key factor that plays a huge role in the existence of discrimination is that there is an absence of mainstream discussion concerning these subjects, such as about the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Therefore, we see so many stereotypes coined upon how people dress and live their lives, especially regarding the LGBTQ+ spectrum, being chained with derogatory terms to bash these communities causing them to lead a life of fear and hiding.

Change within a society is directly invoked from proper discourse and discussion. Society will never accept these progressive notions if these topics are constantly swept under the rug. Therefore, we need to break the barriers of what our ancestors swore to be taboo, and shine a spotlight on them. Since respecting others is best taught when one is young, children need to be educated on the theme that a person’s religion, culture, or sex are not reasons to discriminate.

Furthermore, we see the phrase ‘ white privilege’ being constantly thrown around in the world when speaking about the ‘ Black Lives Matter’ movement. The concept of privilege, however, not only concerns race but d ive r s i t y a l t o g e t h e r. ‘ Privilege’ is a powerful weapon in the face of inequality as it can make or break the movement. This is why movements like ‘He-forShe’ and ‘ straight- ally’ are such a powerful part of the overall coalition.

We as a society should not

Srilanka too has experienced discrimination in various forms. The 30-year-old war that began with the small flicker of hatred towards the Tamil community is proof of how discrimination has the potential to erupt into a massive catastrophe that is bound to be destructive. It has been eleven years since the war ended and while there is a newfound respect for harmony amongst citizens despite racial indifferences, especially in the northern parts of the nation that was previously a warzone, the scars of racial disparities have not completely healed. We see many instances of racial bias, and a fluctuating blame game whenever our nation is subjected to various issues.

be afraid to speak up and hold people accountable for their actions. Once that becomes the norm, deterrence is automatically instilled in society, and then, people will begin to question their own moral compass and these long-lasting ideologies, causing a domino of change to erupt from within a person to the society as a whole.

Decades of discrimination and oppression are the foundation our society was built upon. It is our generations’ responsibility to speak up, act out, and stand up for what’s just in the face of social injustice. If you are skeptical about whether this is an issue that your generation is burdened with solving, look around and ask yourself, If not now, when?

If not us, who?

6. The following are hotlines for if you or a loved one needs immediate support: Suicide prevention hours) 011

2671411

Sexual abuse/ rape - 011 2 655577.

Child helpline

A safe space for the LGBTQ+ community

- Equal ground ( https:// www.equal-ground.org) For further information please visit us on slmun.org or call us on +94 718013722 / +94 773465375

- Himaya Perera and

Diyara Jaswar