Role of Men in Gender equality

Introduction:

Parenting is one of the most responsible in nurturing the child in many dimensions. Understanding of
gender equality begins from home, but not as a lecture mode, child observes their parents, grandparents
and uncle and aunt. Boys who are brought up as the privileged ones are given more opportunities, freedom,
grow up with a mindset that they are superior to their sisters and to women in general. If a boy while
growing up notices that his mother or sister is always working in the kitchen, he may think that it is the job
of a woman. Disrespecting and disregarding women may become something normal for a boy grown up
with this mentality.

In this paper we would like to understand the current role of the men at home and at school with the local
selected sample survey.

Background:

As Gandhi said, "True freedom is when a lady with jewels can walk in the midnight" Forget about jewels,
midnight, let a woman walk freely at home, on roads and wherever she wants. Not only in the night but
also even in the daytime.

Once the country gained independence, Indian leaders discouraged female revolutionaries from mobilizing,
instilling a ‘ghar - bahir’ divide and reinforcing strict gender roles for women as the protectors of the home.

Freedom to rights, rights to non- violence, non-violence to feminism, feminism to gender equality and
gender sensitivity, are the longs journey for the women empowerment. In all the cases most of the times
speaks person is mostly women comparatively men(even it is very less). But still it is needed to work on
this area to bring the gender equality in the society, as a man it is major important to take active participation
in this area to make it possible along with the women. Also, it is individual responsibility.

Objectives of this study:

 Understanding the current scenario of the Gender equality at Home by the doing household survey.
 Understanding role of male gender at school and home.

Method of study:

 Survey by visiting the households and students.

 Doing one to one discussion.

Sampling:

Total 68 members were taken for the survey under this topic which are mentioned under gender wise and
age groups.
 Grandmothers: 10 (60+)

Grandfathers: 10(60+)

Mothers: 15(40- 60)

Fathers: 15(40-60)

Students: 20 (11 – 15)

Tools

Mobile for online survey submission.

MS-Forms for the online questionnaire.

Data collection:

Total team of 15 members were involved in doing survey. By keeping the average 4-5 per head. Few
members did the survey with the support of other team member. Before the survey we decided ourselves
about the sample categories like Grandparents, Parents, and students’ groups. Taken 3 days to complete
the survey with the team members and collected the results through online forms and consolidated.

Analysis:

Q.1 Who takes decisions at home?

 Father and mother only 33%

33%
 Mother only (3%)
44%
 Father only (17%)
 All together (44%)
 For one person at home all family members given 3%
decision power he/she will be taking decisions (2%) 2% 18%
Q.2 what is the importance of taking decisions by either father or mother at home?

A. He takes the right decision as he is the main person of the

family. (ಅವರು ಯಜ ಾನ ಾ ರುವ ದ ಂದ ಸ ಾದ ಣ ಯ
C Q2 ೆ ೆದು ೊಳ ಾ ೆ) (68%)
8%
B B. ಪ ರುಷರು ಕುಟುಂಬದ ವ ವ ಾರವನು ನ ೆಸಲು ಾಣ ಾ ೆ
24% ಅದ ಾ ಅವರು ಣ ಯಗಳನು ೆ ೆದು ೊಳ ವರು/Men are good at
running the family so they only can take decisions. (24%)

A
68% C. ಮ ೆಯರು ಕುಟುಂಬದ ವ ವ ಾರವನು ನ ೆಸಲು ಾಣ ಾ ೆ
ಅದ ಾ ಅವರು ಣ ಯಗಳನು ೆ ೆದು ೊಳ ವರು/Women are adept
at running the family, so they only can take the decisions. (8%)
3. ಮ ೆಯ ಮ ತಂ ೆಯವರು ಾ ೆ ೆಚು ಾ ಮುಖ ೆಯನು ೊಡು ಾ ೆ/for whom does your father give more
importance to at home?

A. ಎಲ ಗೂ/For all equal importance (62 % ) Q3

B. ೆಣು ಮಗು ೆ ೆಚು /more for girl child ( 11 %)
A D E
1%
C. ಗಂಡು ಮಗು ೆ ೆಚು /more for boy child (14 %) 12%
B
D. ಂಗವನು ೆ ಸ ೆ ಕ ಮಗು/small child irrespective of
gender ( 12%) C C B
14% 11%
E. ಂಗವನು ೆ ಸ ೆ ದಲ ಮಗುfirst child irrespective D A
of gender ( 1%) 62%
E

4. ಒಬ ೆ ಒಬ ಮಗಳನು ೊಂ ರುವ ತಂ ೆ "ಅವಳ ನನ ಮಗಳ

Q4 ಾತ ವಲ, ಾನು ಅವಳನು ಮಗ ಾ ೆ ೆ ೆ" ಎಂದು ೇ ದರು. ಈ
ೇ ೆಯ ಬ ೆ ೕವ ಏನು ೕ ಸು ೕ ? A father who had only
one daughter said, "even though she is my only daughter,
A I have raised her as a son". What do you think about this
statement?
36% B
A. ತಂ ೆ ಂಗ ಾರತಮ ವನು ೋ ಸು ಾ ೆ/Father shows
gender discrimination (64%)

64% B. ತಂ ೆ ಂಗ ಾರತಮ ವನು ೋ ಸು ಲ/Father does not

show gender discrimination ( 36%)

5. ಮ ೆಯ ಗ ತ ಸಮಯ ೆ ಮ ೆ ೆ ಬರುವ ಕಟ ೆ/ ಯಮ
ಾ ಸುವ ದು/Adhering to the rule/rule of coming home Q5
at fixed time at home.

A. ಎಲ ಗೂ/For everyone
B. ಹುಡುಗ ೆ ಾತ / for only boys 21% A
C. ೆಣು ಮಕ ೆ/for only girls B
50% C
D. ಾ ಗೂ ಸಮಯದ ಇರ ಾರದು/ No one 23%
should have limitations 6% D
6.

7.

8.
9.

10. ಾ ೆಯ ಸ ೆ ಸ ಾರಂಭಗಳ ಾರು ರೂಪ ೆ ಾ ದ ೆ ಉತಮ ಾ ರುತ ೆ/In school assembly or functions

who should be anchored to make the function beautiful?

A. ಎಲರೂ/ all 56% Q10 E

5%
B. ಹುಡು ಯರು ಾತ /girls only 15% D
A
21%
C. ಹುಡುಗರು ಾತ /boys only 3% B

D. ಕರು ಾತ /teachers only 21%

C C A
3% 56%
D
E. Other 5% B
E 15%

11. ಊಟದ ಸಮಯದ ೆಂಗಸರು, ಗಂಡಸರ ಊಟದ ನಂತರ ಾಡು ಾ ೆ. ಇದರ ಬ ೆ ಮ ಅ ಾ ಯ ೇನು. At school

women will do the lunch after the men. what is your opinion on this.

Q11
ಇದು ಸ ಾದ ಕ ಮ/This is the right
course of action
9 14%

ಇದು ಸ ಾದ ಕ ಮವಲ/This is the not A 35% 9%

6
right course of action B
ಇಬ ರು ಒಂ ೇ ಸಮಯದ ನ ೇಕು/ Both C
28
should eat at the same time
D
ಾ ಾದರೂ ಕೂ ಾ ಸಮಯ ೆ ಸ ಾ
ಊಟ ಾಡುವ ದು/Anyone can eat on time
23 42%
Findings:

 44% responses came on decision taken by all together at home but still 68% responses says that
men can take proper decisions as he is the responsible person of the family. which are the
contradictory statements in the nature.
 There is a slight difference percent between giving importance to girl child and boy child. Still,
father will give more importance to the boy child than to the girl child.
 A Successful Daughter is a Replacement for a son. For this statement 64% people accepted that it
is clearly a gender discrimination.
 50% responses given to fix the time limitation for all the members of the family, but there is a clear
discrimination on women by observing the 23% responses, which says that time limitation is for
only girls.
 There is a clear discrimination identified in classifying the household works among the men and
women. Which is rooted historically in the society.
 85% responses say that, in school all must do food serving irrespective of students and teachers,
this must be relooked with the reality.
 Regarding cleaning work at school campus, 56% responses said that it has been done by all the
people of the school irrespective of students and teachers and 32% responses are positive towards
appointing an attended for the cleaning works.
 In the school functions and assembly, 56% responses are positive towards taking the responsibility
by all the members of the school and 21% responses are positive to give the responsibilities for
teachers.
 42% responses are supporting men and women should eat lunch together at school, and 35% people
supporting to take lunch whomever get hunger first.
 Most of the responses are the positive in nature but in the reality, surveyor observed that there are
the responses given ideally for the survey.
 For the question “what the reasons for are limiting the time for the girls “most of the responses says
that girls will get harm with others, but when we ask that who is that “other” it means male gender.

Suggestions:

Knowingly or unknowingly family members give the statement like " need to save money for daughter
marriage" which prints the negative sense to girl mind, which leads the insecurity among them. without
saying the reasons giving restrictions to the girl child , like on timings or communicating in the mobile
phone etc ., which leads the uncleared questions in children mind. which are the growth barriers of the
children. It is not only girl child it also happens in any child. These things must be avoided by the parents
and family members.
Being as an example: all the Male gender must share equal works at home irrespective of the gender and
nature of the works. It may not be regular, but it should lead to clear the children that there is no
classification of the works according to the gender.

Give equal respect to all either boy (student) or girl (student) , and should not give statements like “ boys
are naughty, girls are cleaver” , at school also don’t discriminate the works/games/responsibilities with
respective to the gender.

It is every one responsibility to make the children to understand that sexuality related differences are
general like physical differences like colour, height, weight and etc.,

At home as well as at school encourage them to do whatever they want and make them to be independent.

Instead of the lectures its most important to be an example , to bring the gender equality in the society in
future