It’s not a man’s world, darn it!
SO the day has come and gone, Valentines Day that is. I’m sure many couples took the time to enjoy the day and partake in its traditions, as did other people who were seeking attention from the object of their affection. Many men do not think much of this day as they feel that they do not need a day to show their affection since they do this all year round. Listening to various men and women speak on the subject has caused me to wonder if the day is just for females and this in turn has led me to this topic.
It has been said that we are living in a ‘man’s world’ and that society mainly benefits men. However, I think this notion demands revisiting, as women are taking over. And the takeover ranges from certain laws to everyday issues and activities that are pro-women.
Take Valentine’s Day again, for example. It is widely accepted and expected that women are the ones to be showered with gifts and tokens of love and affection. On this day women expect to be taken out, petted and pampered and just spoilt in general. So what about men? Don’t they deserve the same things that women ‘demand’ on this day? Of course, but the fact of the matter is that Valentine’s Day is really for the females. End of story. It’s not really a man’s world.
Also, there are a number of laws which, if examined, are heavily or totally skewed towards the fairer sex. Many of you might or might not know that a man cannot be legally raped. The mere description of what rape is under the law means that only men can commit the crime of rape. This definitely shows that it’s not a man’s world. Just to give an idea of what the law says, while rape is forcibly having sex with someone without their consent, there has to be ‘penetration’ for a rape to be committed and we all know that women do not possess the physical body part to penetrate. This is somewhat unfair, as it presumes that men will always want sex from a particular woman and does not take into account that a man can refuse the sexual advances of a woman for any number of reasons.
If you have watched the movie Obsessed you would see that some women will go to the extreme to get a man, and in fact can drug the man in order to have sex with him. Doesn’t that constitute rape? It would probably be indecent assault if she was actually convicted, but it’s not really a man’s world and even that conviction is unlikely to happen.
Another issue is that of sexual harassment. Have you ever heard of a female in a particular company or institution being charged with the sexual harassment of a male co-worker? Not likely. This is again because the world in which we live has come to think and legitimise somewhat, the notion that men cannot be the victim of sexual harassment. It has become accepted that men are the only perpetrators of such acts and as such laws have become skewed and developed in accordance with this misconception.
And finally, when it comes to parties and other social events, there is no question as to who rules. I don’t think I have ever seen a flyer or advert where men go in free and ladies pay (not that I would want to, really) or where men get discounts as opposed to just women.
The ladies therefore end up going into the event FREE and then it is expected that if you as a man go there with a woman — or not — you will need to buy women drinks. So men end up always footing the bill… and then they say it’s a man’s world. Sigh!
