Mother’s day is absurd unless all women have the freedom to pursue equal opportunities.
This freedom is curtailed in a patriarchal society which is misogynist, by all means. Religion, caste, colour, nationality, gender bias and all forms of byproducts of today’s economic, social, political order are meant to oppress women, their liberty, equality and even safety.
Mother’s day, women’s day or any such glorification of women is nothing but a form to mask their real miseries, the inequality that the present society has bestowed upon them, oppression, which often culminates in rape, the ultimate humiliation and physical punishment by men, who came into existence due to women! Making them a goddess is another example.
It is told with “pride” that prostitution is the oldest profession and many advanced and ‘modern’ nations have given it a legal cover, where sex workers can earn their wages “respectfully”, without much hindrance. This, in any case, has failed to give sex workers any respect or safety.
Yes, legalising prostitution has given a boost to the falling GDP, as huge taxes are collected by the capitalist governments! They are celebrating Mother’s Day! If prostitution is legal, then rape is theft or loot of women’s body, which is a factory of ‘sexual pleasure’.
Women’s oppression started from the day when the division of work started in our society based on gender. This happened when humans started settling in a particular area, where they could find safety, a source of water and better management of basic subsistence, like food and could store them for future. Women took care of households, as physically they got confined to the “base area”, during pregnancy and to take care of babies. This division was natural and did not curtail their equality straight away but in the course of time, the situation changed. With the rise of private property, men looked for inheritance for their wealth and demanded monogamy.
Here ended polygamy and all freedom, equality of women. The concept of fatherhood started. Men remained polygamous, continued their “right” to copulate with many women, despite all laws, in various forms, till today. Prostitution, rape, women’s oppression, domestic violence, pornography, the fashion industry, beauty contests, etc are various forms to not only maintain men’s hegemony over women but even turned women into a commodity to extract huge profit, and form the base of capitalism.
Do you foresee women’s freedom, equality and safety in capitalism, which is meant to extract profit by all means, and which not only continues women’s subjugation to men and production for profit but increases it?
Restoration of women’s pride has to be based on economic equality, freedom from the kitchen, freedom from the sole responsibility of taking care of the household and children. And that will be natural in socialism, which cannot be constructed unless a revolution takes place and capitalism is buried.
Remember, working women’s participation to effect a successful revolution is as much required as working men! Here’s wishing a Happy Mother’s Day to all my women readers.