In ancient times, in time immemorial, men and women were unequal, and men considered women nothing more than their chattel, or as part of all their worldly possessions, and thus women suffered much oppression and were downtrodden.

But in the last century, and especially in this New Millennium, there has been rapid and remarkable progress in bringing about social changes by the impetus and thrusts to empower and educate women to no longer be viewed as being inferior to men.

However, these sweeping reforms have been witnessing a downside, or the sending out of distress signals, as in the case of most women the laudable idea of empowering them has gone awry, and they now suffer from distortions of all kinds.

Gender equality must be recognised, and in a household, while men are still considered the head, women should be seen as the neck that turns the head and therefore one cannot exist without the other, and both men and women play complementary roles.

A man is not superior and a woman is not inferior, and the quicker and faster everyone learns to absorb these realities, the faster can the world move forward in the direction of a socially just world order.

Now, having evolved so far, men and women must subscribe to egalitarian thinking and work in partnership as equals and not as competitors. They must learn the importance and necessity of working together in perfect harmony for them to benefit mutually.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE