BY: CHRISTOPHER FERNANDEZ
This is a really controversial statement issued by Mr. Sigmund Freud, often referred to as the Father of Modern Psychiatry, towards the end of his life, and after a long and illustrious career, he concluded that “women don’t know what they want.”
This boiled up the feminists led by Ms. Germaine Greer, and the controversy that followed reverberated all over the world, debunking the specious belief of women that “the future is female,” and caused misogynists and male chauvinists to up the ante.
The ensuing result was there began a blow-by-blow account between these different factions and camps and until today the issue is yet to be resolved. But at the same time, most people realised and acknowledged that women badly needed to be empowered.
But while empowering women, bringing about gender equality, and other breakthroughs in alleviating the status and bearing of a woman were necessary, what has evolved and transpired, the end result is deemed as ‘unsatisfactory.’
Have men caused women to lose the plot?
The approach by right thinking men and women was that women needed to be empowered, but they failed to assert and state to what extent, and now what has evolved is that many women have lost the plot.
While empowering women was essential, the limits and curtailing their empowerment, failed to be outlined and specified, thus causing a growing number of women to become over-empowered which has resulted in a reversal of their role as women.
It is important to see men and women as equal, and neither gender inferior or superior but balanced in outlook and thinking, and while a man should still be the head of the household, a woman is the neck that turns the head.
If both men and women understand their distinct and specific roles, there would be a reduction in social ills or the rise in marginalised groups such as the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender and Queer or LGBTQ++ community.
Getting the house back in order
While traditionally, men and women took on conservative roles, new rules apply now in the New Millennium and the advent of the New Normal has accentuated a certain ‘textured flavour’ to how men and women view themselves.
In view of this transformation, there has invariably also emerged confusion and an unsettling understanding between men and women and there are large numbers of people, as a result, suffering from ‘intrinsic disorders.’
Therefore, in this realm of open societies emerging, it is important and of paramount need to inculcate in men and women, from childbirth to infancy, through childhood and adolescence up to adulthood their respective sexual roles and identity.
If this can be undertaken by governments around the world, and formulated into a policy, there is every possibility that sexual disorientation and sexual deviancy can be eradicated for men and women to live healthy, wholesome lives.
Empowering women must be done prudently and wisely
No segment and sector of society must be oppressed, suppressed and downtrodden, especially women and children, who are categorised as vulnerable and weak groups in Malaysia, and therefore it is vital to empower them appropriately.
Empowering these groups of people, including the elderly, must be in line with the aspiration and belief that do not usurp the traditional role of a man but the equation of empowerment among all human beings must be fair and balanced.
Everyone, men, women, the elderly, youth and children must come to terms and recognise the roles they play in life and not allow themselves to be ignorant of the scheme of things of how life works out for each and every individual.
If everyone can abide by this form and function, if they can adhere to this format of partnerships of an egalitarian nature, under a banner of trust and truth, there would in one fell swoop be less friction and tension in relationships.
**Christopher Fernandez cautions against tipping the apple cart and hopes Malaysians would conform to being true to themselves as by ‘unto thyself be true’ they thus become free from all forms of enslavement
-THE MALAYSIA VOICE
(The views expressed on this opinion is of the writer and not the publisher)
