-Honour women’s choices from birth to departure! -Pratima Jaidev
"She is proud of the woman she has become because of the choices she was allowed to make. But, how many women out there can say that confidently in this 21st century?”
Being the eldest daughter, granddaughter, and also coming from a family of teachers whose girl children were all raised and educated well, the gender bias is not something she experienced at a personal level at home, though she did face few challenges while climbing up the ladder in her profession.
There are a lot of emotionally moving stories of gender bias that she keeps listening to constantly from women around her. Honouring a woman’s decisions from birth to departure is still a debatable issue in many patriarchal societies and countries across the globe.
From the moment a woman enters this world, her journey becomes a testament to choices and the intrinsic right to make decisions about her life. Across cultures, societies, and over the period of time, the narrative of respecting women's decisions from birth until their last breath has become an imperative facet of societal evolution and justice. This is an alarming concern across the globe, not just any one particular district, state or country.
Educational Freedom and Career Choices
As an adolescent girl grows up, her choices diversify. She was always allowed by her parents to pursue the course she wanted to or to choose a career in media. But many of her classmates were afraid to think ‘out-of-the-box’ and pursue their aspiring professions. Encouraging educational freedom devoid of gender biases, allowing young girls to choose their own career path to aspire for leadership roles, and to have equal opportunities in the professional realm are essential steps toward gender equality. How far are we from all of this as only 49% of countries have achieved gender parity in primary education so far. At the secondary level, the gap still widens. And just 42% of countries have achieved gender parity in lower secondary education, and only 24% have done so in upper secondary education.
These gaps are largely due to discriminatory norms, including child marriage, gender-based violence, lack of hygiene or sanitary products for girls, lack of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights for girls, and favoring investment in education for boys.
Autonomy in Relationships and Family Decisions
The decisions a woman takes in her relationships, whether romantic, in family, or platonic, are inherently her own personal choices. Respecting her choices in partnerships, marriage, and parenting is of primary importance. Empowering her to voice her desires, supporting her decisions in family matters, and ensuring her safety within relationships are integral to uphold her autonomy. And, according to a recent U.N. report, 28 countries still have no laws to address domestic violence, leave alone their mental well-being which is very crucial.
Healthcare Choices and Reproductive Rights / Respect for Birth Choices
Women have the right to decide about their physical bodies and reproductive health. Respecting their choices regarding contraception, family planning, and reproductive rights is crucial in honoring their choices. Providing access to comprehensive healthcare, including safe and legal options for abortion for matured adults, is essential for their well-being.
The choice to bring life into this world is profound. It's a decision often made jointly by a couple, yet one that profoundly impacts only a woman's body and future. So, why don’t we respect her decision as to when she wants to conceive; she wants to bear a child or not; if she wants to adopt; if she wants to remain childless. Even if her family supports her decisions, sometimes, we as a society pressurize her to decide against all these things and put her through a lot of pressure and label her as ‘not an ideal woman’. The U.N. report mentions that in 68 countries, women do not have the same rights as men to remarry and on a global level, only 56% of women are able to make their own decisions about their sexual and reproductive health and their rights.
End-of-Life Decisions
In the twilight of life, honoring a woman's decisions regarding her health, care, and end-of-life choices is an affirmation to her dignity. Respecting her wishes regarding medical treatment, palliative care, and the legacy she is allowed to inherit (from her parents or ancestors) or wishes to leave behind is the final act of reverence for her to implement her free-will because; as even now nearly 40% of countries limit women’s property rights.
In essence, respecting women's decisions from birth until death is not just an obligation; it's a testament to societal progress, justice, and fundamental human rights. It's about recognizing and upholding their free-will and dignity in every facet of their lives.
It requires not just policy changes but a shift in societal norms, attitudes, and perceptions. Empowering women, advocating for their rights, and championing their choices contribute to a world where every woman can live freely, make choices without fear of judgment or coercion, and be respected for her autonomy at every stage of life.
In this journey towards equality and justice, respecting women's decisions stand as an unwavering principle, echoing the essence of human rights and the dignity of every individual, regardless of gender.
In spite of knowing the positive side of allowing women to have their own free will, we still keep hearing about significant challenges that persist like the barriers they face in various areas like pay gap, underrepresentation in leadership roles across various sectors, gender-based violence affecting women and girls disproportionately and a lot more.
The efforts that are ongoing worldwide to address these challenges must include not just advocacy, and policy changes to achieve gender parity in various spheres of life but the focus needs to be more on public awareness campaigns, educational initiatives, and the involvement of both men and women in these efforts are crucial steps towards achieving greater gender equality and women's empowerment. When a woman’s choices are respected, she becomes a harbinger of change and the world around her begins to change. And, as a society trying to make those choices easy for her at every stage of her life; is the responsibility that lies with each and every individual in the society; irrespective of caste, creed, nationality, religion, and sex. So let’s all be more conscious towards “upholding her respect to uphold her freedom”.