5 things every Indian parent should teach their kids about gender equality
Gender equality is still a far-fetched dream in India. Even in the most liberal families, a child will not be cushioned form gender discrimination, because they will see it on the streets, in school, among peers and in the media. Keeping this in mind, every year, India observes National Girl Child Day on 24th January to raise awareness about the rights of girl children and open equal opportunities for them in all spheres of life. As we celebrate this day today, here are a few things you need to drill into the mind of your young kids about gender equality.
No gender deserves special privileges
As a parent, you need to make your child realise that being born as a male is not a privilege. Also, being a female doesn’t give anyone the right to be dependent. Do not allow special favours to children basis their gender. Explain in an age-appropriate way why gender discrimination is wrong.
Chores are the same for every gender
Cooking, cleaning, taking out the garbage, doing the dishes and maintaining a clean room – these should be the chores that every kid should pick up, irrespective of age and gender. Make sure you are setting the right example. Once they see that both parents are sharing chores, they will get used to gender equality at home.
No one is born with pre-set entitlements
Boys in India are born with readymade property and income assurance. Girls are taught that dowry is a must in their marriage, they are entitled to get jewellery as property, and they need to find a rich husband for themselves. Teach your kids that they need to make their own fortune. You are there as a security while it comes to property and money. But they need to earn their own assets, because that’s what a grown-up is supposed to, irrespective of gender. Make your kids believe in self-esteem, instead of family hand-downs.
Gender doesn’t represent one’s identity
This is something that needs to be ingrained in a child’s mind from the very beginning. Help kids identify their true identity based on their choices and preferences, personality and skill sets. They should be told that these are gender-neutral.
There’s no gender-specific colour or area of interest
As parents, you often encourage your children to choose an area of interest. While girls are made motivated to join art classes, and boys are pushed towards sports like cricket, football, etc. Also, there’s this pre-set notion that blue is for boys and pink is for girls. These are the things that sow the seeds of gender inequality in kids from a very tender age. Teach your kids that colours or areas of interest are not supposed to have any gender connotation. Boys and girls can choose to pick any activity or colour they prefer, irrespective of their gender.