By 
For many, to be born female is to expect a lifetime of having one’s freedom greatly restricted. In patriarchal societies worldwide, women are governed by concrete gender roles and expectations which are detrimental to their individual growth and fulfillment.
The world is filled with beauty and diversity yet many women are not free to travel on their own to experience different cultures and countries. For them ‘independence’ is out of reach and their lives are controlled by relatives. Often men are the ones who place restrictions on women yet they will never allow themselves to be controlled. How can people say that women have equality when they don’t have freedom?
I have never understood this and as a female I have been subjected to the same restrictions; in the end it is all about control although people tend to label this as ‘love’. The problem is that women are never asked whether they want this sort of ‘love’ or they want freedom. Instead control is imposed and screws tightened yet men have never and will never subject themselves to this ‘love’.
Recently, I read the story of the Saudi teen who fled from her family and sought refuge in Canada. She has lambasted male guardianship of Saudi women. In this era women are still not autonomous and the examples are in the millions. Although, not in physical chains they are held down and mentally caged by backward beliefs imposed upon them.
I recall seeing the documentary, India’s Daughter about the woman who was viciously gang raped. She was blamed for her death, for being out at night. Women are often blamed for whatever happens to them because they are expected to be controlled from birth by parents and relatives, then ultimately by spouses until death.
Many medieval practices are still imposed on women without consideration for their well-being. In some places women are isolated in unhygienic surroundings during their menstrual cycle, fighting for the right to equal access, pleading to end female infanticide and other scourges.
Regardless of the severity, conditioning starts from infancy. In my case, I never understood why I had to hide myself in the house and couldn’t get the same freedom to play with and visit friends like my brothers. It was drilled into me by the adults that wanting to socialize especially in situations where I would come in contact with the opposite sex was something bad and if someone whom I knew saw me in such situations I instantly felt guilty. There was a long line of brainwashers and watchers ready to fill my head with filth and report my ‘misdeeds’ to my father. These ranged from relatives to neighbours and villagers.
I was even once accused by an aunt of coming here to look for men while on vacation in New York and I was about 28 then! I was standing on her lawn observing the neighbourhood when an older teen (from appearance) curiously asked me if I had moved in. I said ‘no’ and not much was asked after but my aunt was observing this little interaction from the window and on entering her house accusations were thrown in such a tone that an observer might have assumed I had been caught in a criminal act! This was just one in a long series of incidents from since childhood which made me conscious of gender limitations and feeling oppressed by numerous irrational and illogical beliefs being imposed upon me due to my sex.
Lo and behold as humans we are a social species and everything in the society is geared towards socialization. Also, sex is a biological and reproductive need and in the end women are expected to find mates (in most cases this would be a man) where communication and sexual activity would feature prominently.
I believe that many people see women as just being the maids and reproductive vessels for men so they are caged because men don’t want other men ‘interfering’ with what they consider to be their property (but they are allowed to be studs) and by allowing women to have social lives and freedom they might not be so subservient and timid. And they might actually realize that there is more to life than just hiding in one’s house trying to be ‘good enough’ to be selected as the wife of someone.
For many brown women life is all about proving to a bunch of brainwashers that they are being morally good by not socializing, dressing in the approved manner and devoid of the need to be an individual.
Would women ever be seen as persons and not property? Would women ever be seen as wonderful creations with independent minds and the need to be developed in all ways? In some societies this has been achieved to an extent but others are still decades behind. Maybe, things will improve but it would require tremendous change in how women are perceived.
