Equality: A Promise Still
Waiting to Be Fulfilled
Growing up, I was taught that men
and women are equal. This belief wasn’t just a slogan—it was woven into my
education, echoed in my family values, and held up as a moral compass. I
believed it. I lived by it. But stepping into adulthood revealed a world where
this principle, though noble, often collides with reality.
Yes, men and women are
biologically different. Nature didn’t make us identical—but it also didn’t
assign value to those differences. Muscles and hormones don’t determine worth.
Yet society often uses biology as a justification for unequal treatment, subtly
reinforcing the idea that difference means hierarchy.
Equality doesn’t mean sameness.
It means fairness. It means dignity. It means freedom to choose without fear of
judgment.
One of the harshest battlegrounds
for gender equality is motherhood. Society has created a narrow mold for what a
“good mother” looks like—and it’s suffocating.
- If a woman is a homemaker but enjoys social
activities, she’s labelled irresponsible.
- If she’s a working professional who loves her job,
she’s accused of neglecting her children.
- If she’s child-free by choice, she’s often seen as
incomplete or selfish.
No matter what path she chooses,
she’s judged. And that judgment isn’t just casual—it’s systemic, cultural, and
deeply ingrained.
Motherhood is not just a
role—it’s a deeply personal, transformative experience. It brings joy,
exhaustion, pride, guilt, and love in equal measure. Yet society often reduces
it to a checklist:
- Are you spending enough time with your children?
- Are you working too much?
- Are you sacrificing enough?
These questions aren’t asked with
empathy—they’re asked with scrutiny. And that scrutiny can be crushing.
While mental health is finally
getting the attention it deserves, the conversation often misses how gendered
expectations affect women’s well-being:
- Guilt and shame from trying to meet impossible
standards.
- Isolation from being judged for choices that
deviate from the norm.
- Burnout from juggling work, home, and emotional labour
without recognition.
- Anxiety from constantly being evaluated—by family,
peers, even strangers.
This isn’t just about stress.
It’s about identity, self-worth, and the right to live without being constantly
measured.
What Needs to Change
- Normalize diverse motherhood journeys—there’s no
one “right” way to be a mother.
- Stop romanticizing sacrifice as the only proof of
love.
- Include mothers in mental health conversations not
just as caregivers, but as individuals with needs.
- Create safe spaces where women can speak openly
without fear of judgment.
Toward a More Just Society
Change begins with conversation,
but it must move toward action. Here’s what we can do:
- Challenge stereotypes in our homes, workplaces, and
media.
- Support women’s choices—whether they stay home,
work, or do both.
- Redefine success beyond gendered expectations.
- Raise emotionally intelligent children who value
empathy over conformity.
Equality isn’t a destination—it’s
a practice. It’s messy, imperfect, and evolving. But it’s worth fighting for.
Because every woman deserves to be seen not as a role, but as a whole human
being.
Not Just a Role
She is not just mother, worker, wife—
She is a universe, pulsing with life.
Not a label, not a mold,
But a story fierce, tender, bold.
She walks through judgment, cloaked in grace,
Carving freedom in a narrow space.
Her
choices—each a quiet fight
To claim her
worth, to own her light.
Let her be
loud, let her be still,
Let her chase
dreams, bend time, bend will.
Let her rest
without guilt’s disguise,
Let her rise,
and rise, and rise.
Equality is not
a gift to give—
It’s a truth in
how we let her live.
So see her
whole, not just her part—
And hold her voice close to your heart.
