Women of an Unequal Society —
Because we have been born into a society —
A culture, a country or a great continent —
That has hidden women in labelled compartments,
That has women as a support and a mere accessory,
As a footnote under-represented in history,
Under the control of that which is called ‘man’.
Because of the structures that have been built —
On the unequal founding of our forebearers,
On the discriminatory privileges that man has inherited —
That a woman has a limited set of functions,
Like childcare, cooking and housework,
A property to be gained and traded.
Because humans still have some primal instincts —
Thinking that the strong should overwhelm the weak,
That physically stronger means being superior,
That physically weaker means being at mercy —
This unequal status quo has been established —
Allowing the abuse and mistreatment of women.
Because of the dominance of the physically stronger sex —
The inheritance of self-perpetuating inequalities,
The indoctrination of women into the substance of ‘man’,
The lack of understanding of discrimination in our languages,
The objectification of women for sensual consumption,
And the industries that profits from these exploitations.
Because of all these things — we can wake up to our world of sexism,
We can wake up to the discrimination of so many women —
The messy world that is still full of many manly sign-posts,
Man-made labels that allow the discrimination of countless women,
Social norms that signal sexism is alright and acceptable,
That women are already very lucky —
And should be ever so grateful.
— Luan V Dinh