The Heated Topic of Gender: Navigating Life’s Advantages and Disadvantages

When it comes to conversations about gender, it's somewhat complicated to judge, and that's because it's usually led to heated conversations as to who's at an advantage or disadvantage based on their gender. While the man feels the pressure on them is enormous, the woman also points out the absence of equality, the pain of childbirth, and the like as a yardstick to say the world isn't fair to them, and these left us with the big question of who is actually at an advantage or disadvantage in such situations. Today I'll state my opinion on this.

Like I said earlier, it's such a difficult thing to pick a side in this kind of conversation, and that's because, in my opinion, both genders are going through a lot, and I guess the fact that their struggles and challenges are different is the main reason why both felt they're being undermined more than the other gender. So, not to take a side, I'll start by analyzing different aspects and how they relate to both genders, with the aim of giving us a clearer picture of the situation of things for both genders.

So to start with, to be fair, far back in history, I'll say things favor the male than they do to the female, and my reasons for that are that most cultures back then usually restricted women from participating in most activities such as chasing a career, leadership, and even the mostly restricted access to basic education, which went on to limit the impact they could have on our society back then.

Luckily, the narrative has changed and is still changing because, presently, in most countries, women now have the same opportunity as men do, and those barriers and embargoes placed on their participation in these things have been lifted. In fact, we now have different movements that encourage equality and the like to promote equality and acceptance of women in all sectors.

And those restrictions placed then on women make them left out and at a disadvantage compared to the men, but if you were to be a man, I'm sure you'll also know the men themselves felt overwhelmed by the pressure on them, as they're usually deemed the breadwinners of the house, meaning they've got to work tirelessly to provide for their wives and children, not forgetting other relatives, and all of these things for a man are stressful and can lead to them having mental health issues.

One other disadvantage I've come to notice in the aspect of women is how they're expected to take charge of home and children, which isn't an easy task at all, and that's not forgetting how investing their time in caring for the children and family would jeopardize their chances of advancing well in a career, like a man would, but if you look at the same aspect of the man, he'll also see it as a disadvantage to him.

Because working their asses means they'll be less available to have deeper connections with their spouse and children, and that's why when most children grow up and you ask them what they'll do when they've got money, they'll mostly mention taking care of their mother, because she's the one they mostly see, because the man is also mostly away looking for money to pay the bills and sustain the family.

Also, one other aspect is how society sees both genders; the community has a point of view that makes both genders vulnerable. For instance, a man who expresses pain or is too emotional would be deemed immature, incapable, and lack the manliness to fend for his family, while a woman who's too autocratic or assessive in her career and the like would be stigmatized as not capable of being a good spouse or mother and would lack empathy, which is a trait they believe women should always portray.

In terms of our safety and health, both genders have their advantages and disadvantages. For instance, men are mostly the ones given hard labor jobs, which can lead to injuries, health issues, and the like. Normally, women won't be given one of such jobs, giving them an advantage, although some still do it. Also, on the other hand, women are most vulnerable to abuses such as sexual, physical, and the like, which could as well affect their mental health. This isn't common with men, although some men also go through it.

There are numerous other differences we shared that can be viewed from different perspectives and make it seem like one is at an advantage over the others, while others are in aspects of childbearing, social expectations, and the like.

But in all, what I'm driving at is that we should keep pushing the barton of equality forward, with the sole aim of striking a balance, and to respect each gender because it's not as rosy as it seems on the other side of the river, and you don't know what the other gender goes through until you are in their shoes, so we should learn to respect and appreciate each other.

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This is my entry for the day 22 of the #mayinleo prompt of the #inLeo initiative, if you'd love to participate, you can read days about it in the announcement post.

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That's all my take on these. I hope you enjoyed the read!

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