Taken for Granted

Ashwini Basant, Nausori

Women are not presenting their issues as a math problem needing the right answer. They are working through their own internal reactions, and hoping for some support along the way.

The people they live with disrespect many women in this society. Preaching to the world about respecting women and helping others will not help when you are not practising the same in your own home.

Many being part of social committees or religious groups are just showcasing a fake picture of being the “ideal perfect person” when actually behind closed doors you are telling women in your family that you have taken birth as a woman and it’s your duty to serve me.

It is a bitter fact that this mentality is very difficult to change, especially with older men in our community who consider their women as a maid of all work, but it is high time that we teach younger boys of our society about respect so that they don’t do the same in the future.

Yes a woman in our society has always for decades been considered to be in the kitchen, or to do cleaning or maybe just look after the kids but as it goes “When in Rome do as the Romans do” likewise with the changing times men have also started helping equally in all tasks, which is splendid. Women who are in full-time domestic duties deserve the same help and respect as the working women of our society. For men who still consider their wives to have taken birth to serve them, the least they can do is respect the hands that cook for his family.

“People say you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. Truth is, you knew what you had, and you just never thought you’d lose it.”