While I am writing about women empowerment, I am not thinking about the financial freedom of women only; I am also thinking about the choices women make due to the stereotypical notions of a patriarchal society.
In order to empower women, we need the full support of men. In Bangladesh, where traditional gender roles are deeply established, involving men in the process of ensuring women empowerment is a dire need for sustainable change.
Though it is challenging to encourage men’s participation in gender equality, it is essential, as men are key stakeholders in families, communities, and institutions in Bangladesh. They need to play a vital role in challenging existing patriarchal norms, ensuring women’s rights, and fostering an inclusive society.
Ensuring gender equality at home
Men playing a vital role in the decision-making process can start with empowering girls and women from home by ensuring their education. Daughters and sons must be treated equally in pursuing their aspirations, dreams, and breaking normative gender roles.
Children in families should be enlightened about women’s rights from an early age. By ensuring men’s contribution to household chores and childcare responsibilities, men can further contribute and help the female members of the family to allocate time and energy for their personal development, gaining knowledge, and other tasks.
Most women leave their jobs after having a child due to the lack of support from their partners. In our country, childcare responsibility is solely shouldered by women. Whether it’s the mother, grandmothers, aunts, or caregivers, it is always women who take care of children. Grandmothers are also burdened with age, and considering their freedom, we should not use them for our needs. There’s no reason why men can’t take care of the children - there are many examples of men who have done so.
Promoting equal opportunities
Men, by supporting equal pay rights, equal representation, feasible parental leave policies, flexible work arrangements, and anti-discriminatory laws, can contribute in the workplace.
Many women quit their jobs even if those jobs are necessary as a result of such discriminatory practices. Men must be allies, not competitors, in the workplace. Being in a position to ensure equality, they must check that women’s voices and ideas are heard and women’s leadership is welcomed.
Establishing positive masculinity
Men can promote a model of masculinity that ensures empathy, respect, love, and equity rather than serving as a controlling or dominating force.
Men must show zero tolerance towards gender-based violence (GBV) as well. Whether at home or in public places, they must protest against it.
Creating safe spaces
Men must ensure a safer environment for women at home, in transport, offices, and in public places. Women have a right to feel safe, secure, valued, and respected. Men must also raise their voices if they witness sexist behaviour in any public space or transportation.
If one man speaks up, another will, and if it keeps happening, then harassment in public places and transportation will decrease, and women will be more interested in going outside the home and contributing their knowledge, skills, and money to the country.
Becoming an exemplary person
If a single man adopts model behaviour, other men will start adopting inclusive behaviour towards women. If somebody in a group doesn’t participate in making fun of or shaming women, other members will automatically feel ashamed of their behaviour.
Men must show other men that empowering women is not only the right thing to do, but by ensuring women’s empowerment, men can enrich their lives as well.
By actively engaging men, we can create a more ideal society where everyone is empowered to reach their full potential. Women empowerment can no longer be viewed as just a woman’s issue anymore; it should be considered a human issue, and men have a crucial role to play.
Tanjila Habib is a lecturer at the School of General Education in BRAC University. Email: [email protected].
