A place like home...

A home is a place where we find refuge, we get to be ourselves and do things that we are restricted to do. It can ultimately be a source of identity and security. For me a Home is not a physical entity but a concept which we may attribute to something that makes us feel comfortable. At least this is what a home for me.

A home may be my family… May be my country… May be marriage…

But at times, what we perceive a home may also be a torture chamber hidden in the shadows of gender inequality and discrimination which is a paradox that is hard to fathom.

Men and Women play different roles, at times roles depend on the gender perception and stereotypes of a place. It may hard to admit but some societies are still fueled by machismo attitudes and patterns of patriarchal control. Some opt to institutionalize it or it may just be entrenched social practice that is considered as cultural and universal.

We see in a daily basis women being abused and battered. But it is only the tip of the ice berg. Sometimes when these things are considered normal and even customary it already borders the defiance of human dignity. When men play a role of manipulation and control, women are often left vulnerable.

Sometimes women are led to believe to be submissive even to the most abusive and atrocious way. These can be seen in different societies in various forms like foot binding, burning their selves alive, be whipped by older brothers, breast ironing, female circumcision, etc. And I think this is where we might find it hard to empower women, because they went through very long years of brainwashing and indoctrination making them see this as normal or a rite of passage…