What is Wrong with Sri Lanka?
Few days ago, the Government of Sri Lanka made a progressive decision by removing an outdated rule which prohibited women from ordering alcohol. Why is it progressive? it’s really not about women getting drunk on street. It’s about to say to the world, that Sri Lanka is ready to treat its women equally and Government respect the ability that women can make their own decisions.
The media, who are supposed to lead and educate citizens, took it all wrong. Famous cartoonists (even Awantha Artigala, a political cartoonist I like the most), Morning shows and News created a different image among people. The next day our beloved President, who once wanted to whip the organizers of a musical show, decided to annul the decision.
Fuck democracy, right?
Men who are Afraid of Educated and Progressive Women.
Let’s take the smallest unit of society as an example. There is a serious misconception among the society that men has to lead the family. In a country that produced world’s first female prime minister, this must be seen as joke right? but surprisingly, it’s not. Some men (and some women) mistakenly believe that the man has to earn more than the woman in a family and if the woman in a higher position or have a better social life than the man, it makes the man, unmanly and the woman will rule over him. Ultimately, this leads to many issues in family and even in relationships where the women expects man to dominate over her and impose rules over her which finally leads to abusive relationships.
This is where the education on Gender Equality matters. Once we start to believe that men and women are equal, the women will come forward and contribute their ideas to build up a better economy, working as hard as men and men will understand that there are much more responsibilities in families rather than making money to sustain. Gender equality in the end is all about empowering everyone to think about freedom of others and respect human beings. Not so called feminists hating on the entire male population.
There are many issues in the country that lead to women oppression which we need to address immediately. Educating women and believing that women have equal rights as men will lead to a better society, better economy and will provide lots of space for new ideas and in the end will improve the relationships among people as it will lead to a society that we respect each and everyone as humans.
That’s why I thought that removing this simple and outdated rule is a start. It’s actually not about women getting drunk, it’s about treating them equally as part of the society giving the women and men an idea that they can make decisions about themselves independently.
We still have a long way to go as a society. Don’t we?
