Emancipation... liberation of women... yes, it is what we wanted! We have struggled for so long to be treated on the same level as men... to be seen as not inferior to them, to be seen as not superior to them but to be seen as equal. And, thank God, we are slowly getting there. Not that long ago, men and only men held all the important positions, worked for government, were chief directors, doctors and lawyers. Not that long ago, women had only marginal roles, were men’s secretaries, receptionists and nurses, or simply stayed-at-home servants and housekeepers. It has all changed and today, more and more women are doctors and lawyers, many occupy significant managerial and government positions.
But has the situation changed for the better...?
I think we pay a high price for our emancipation... Yes, we want to be free. Yes, we want to be liberated and modern. Yes, we are hungry for the same opportunities men have got. But we didn’t say we wanted to be treated like dudes...
I think that women tolerate men’s rude behaviour to a great extent. They accept men who treat them badly, who do not take care of them, who treat them like dirt. Is a rude and offensive guy more manly and macho because he acts like an idiot? I don’t think so. I am sure many women (and I hope men as well) would agree with me when I say that ignorant, impolite and bad-mannered guys are not sexy at all. They are repulsive, unappealing and simply dull.
Where are all the gentlemen and nice guys gone? Why don’t men treat us like women anymore? We didn’t ask them to stop caring for us, taking care of us, loving us. We are still attracted to romantic guys. We are still attracted to men who open door for us, bring us flowers, offer us seats, take our coats... We still want some love, affection and romance... We still want to be admired, glorified and adored... Do we really want too much? Is this treating us like dudes a price we have to pay for wanting to be respected and appreciated on the same level as men?
Our society becomes more and more intolerant, narrow-minded and simply rude. I really do not expect men to offer me a seat in a tube. I am a young, healthy person and do not have to sit down wherever I go. What makes me mad, though, is when I see a visibly pregnant woman struggling to protect her belly from elbows of other passengers or an elderly lady who can barely stand on her own while a young, “cool” dude sits on the bus and pretends he does not see them. That is what really pisses me off.
I think this is a really big problem. Many people lack simple courtesy. And who is responsible for teaching them good manners? Parents. School. Society. We experience the world on our own but it is up to our parents and teachers to show us how to behave and conduct ourselves. They should be the ones who have formative effects on our minds. They should be the ones who influence our characters, values, ideas, principles and morals.
Even animals have principles. It is really sad that people, equipped with an indispensable skill such as logical and coherent thinking, still lack certain commonsense standards.
