There are very few moments that could change the direction of our lives, organizations, and even entire nations. Not many things could make someone realize something and resist to persist his/her opinion. Longer I know that click moment for gender inequality issues happens to individuals in another way and understanding. For me personally, some experiences change my way of vision for gender inequality. It has been reminding me of the days when I wondered if I were alone in thinking that something outside of me--in the culture-was wrong. It called 'click moment'.
My 'click' moment started when I learned about gender in my
2nd years at college, I took gender classes within cross-department. Verily, I interested in gender issues, while in my own department just few I could get, then I cut out cross-department to get more knowledge about gender. Lucky, the current policy allowed us to take classes across-department, with proviso still in the same faculty. I started learning about gender inequality, about issue of violence against women in various fields, about oppression to women by the indigenous communities in cultural, social and economic. I have known that gender was an attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women. Till I bought and read many books about feminism thought. I began to 'see' all occurrences that I often encountered, all the things that often done by people around me.
It dawned that as
long as I live, I survived in gender inequality which came from family culture,
ethnic culture, and stereotypes in my social environment. I ever in bullied by
those women who calling themselves 'beautiful girls a.k.a superstars', for almost seven or eight years.
I've been slapped for no reason in public. They insulted me, my appearance both
physical and verbal. Then, I dwell in inequality for so long. Finally I got
knowledge and strength from many classes I took. I got understanding that
"I have the right to be treated in dignified and humane" not only
by men but also by community (I mean, those women who treated me bad). I must
strengthen myself with science and knowledge, it was also changing the way I
tolerate the things that led to the humiliation of my dignity: "No one is allowed to humiliate another human being, unless he is not human". I had to
enlighten and educate my social environment about bullying, violence, etc. So
that there's nothing 'other-me', who should be silent when they get violent
from people around. Shortly, I felt that I needed to strengthen and empower myself if I wanted to change people around me. It was important to know what I am good at, to develop a sense of
self dignity. Know what I could offer the world.
Regards,
-BR-
Regards,
-BR-
