More than one century after women in the United States gained their right to vote, the continuing need to send a message to the world that, 'women's rights are human rights,' is clear evidence that our society still lacks the lenses needed to view women's issues as real issues. While political and economic rights may some day be achievable, such as the ability to hold a high level of public office or equal wage/salary in various work fields, we should additionally direct our attention to striving for women's cultural and social rights. And this begins with uprooting the same ideologies of sexism that keep one group subordinated compared to the other.
To eradicate the discrimination that is sexism, we must first approach the "superior" group- men and pinpoint the norms that keep them in the higher position. For example, if traditionally defined gender roles were distributed more evenly, then both men and women would be comfortable in sharing responsibilities in private and public spheres. The tendency to view men who stay home to take care of their children while their wives are working is either as 'un-manly' for not being the breadwinner for his family or as the ideal representation of masculinity for giving time into raising children. But it is never seen as a normal fulfillment of one out of the multiple duties that one gender may have at home, in the workplace, and other settings. The same conclusion can be drawn for how women who go out to work are viewed. The further we complicate the social construction of gender identities in society, the more we contribute to the unfair power structure between men and women.
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Subsequently, men, given their "position of power" have a social responsibility to view the other group, women, as a physically different, yet equal group. There is no doctrine of law of any faith or nationality that states that it is solely a woman's responsibility to be subservient to a man. Institutions such as marriage and even motherhood do not mean enslavement. Yet, in conservative cultures, how many women must there be who are stuck in unhappy marriages and truly believe that they have to stay in order to fulfill their duties as wives and daughters because society will hold them responsible for not taking care of their husbands? Men must first admit their gender privilege over women and see that a woman's body is not the only factor that distinguishes her from men, but that a woman's mind, soul, and decisions must be accepted in order to build a successful relationship between these two groups.
This is not to suggest that the majority of men alone must change their attitude towards women, but that women too must change their attitude towards women. Historically, the women's rights movement was known to be led by rich white women while today, it is a movement led by women who are immigrants, disabled, young and old, rich and poor, and more men, who have set out to show the world that women from all different walks of life and who hold different morals, values, and beliefs can come together collectively to identify common challenges and work towards building and advocating for inclusive solutions. We cannot stop until a non-Muslim woman can look at a Muslim woman who wears the hijab and see that her wearing the hijab is not because her religion or her family forces her to, but because it is her choice, or until a woman can look at another woman who may be wearing tight clothing and see that her decision to dress this way is not because of peer pressure or to show off her body, but because it is her choice. Women can only be successful in the women's rights movement by accepting the diversity and the decisions of all women around them.
