Institutionalised Womanhood

Yuval Noah Harrari unequivocally posits in his Sapiens that all the institutions, ideologies, rules and values are constructed by the 'civilised' society. The argument is presented with unquestionable evidence in the book. While going through the captivating lines in the book, I began to ponder on the stereotypes in the female gender. I started to imagine the slow and steady process by which gender roles and stereotypes were formed in microcosmic communities. It is intriguing to observe that there are striking parallels when it comes to gender stereotypes in all communities. Perhaps this is because gender roles are directly connected to the biological symmetry of the species.

I began to trace the position of the contemporary woman in the whole scheme of social life. As she juggles multiple responsibilities, it is apparent that the governing principle in the life of the female is the prickly guilt. There is the constant need to 'fulfill the responsibilities' failing to do which would lead to remorse, self-condemnation and a sense of decreased self-worth. The value of the female's self is directly proportionate to the number of works and services she caters to others. 

Nietzsche rightly observes in his On the Genealogy of Morality that ''conscience is our awareness of responsibility''. The guilty conscience is universally identified as the right tool to eke out incessant works and services from females, from time immemorial. This is ensured through constant surveillance, indoctrination and conditioning of females from an early age.

Harrari forces one to view each and every aspect of life from a different perspective. I realized, for the present-day woman, the greatest challenge is to overcome the conditioning and the forced compunction.

PS: Males are also subjected to gender stereotyping and conditioning. This also has to be adequately addressed, giving equal importance as we give to plight of their female counterparts.