If you look around this world we live on it won't take very long to figure out that there are huge imbalances. Imbalances between countries, between people, between ages, between genders and even between personalities. If you are born in Japan your opportunities are going to be very different than someone born in Nigeria, Norway, or the United States. Sure you can look at pretty international treaties about right of the child but the simple fact is that imbalances exist.
Or perhaps you wish to look at the wealth of the family you are brought into. As for myself I was born into a family that was broke. When it was time for class field trips I rarely got to go as we just couldn't afford the fees. I remember in Grade 7 when everyone was choosing whether or not they wanted to take band in middle school I would have loved to...but the instrument was just too expensive. Other children got an opportunity I just wasn't going to get.
I guess my upbringing has made me a little jaded. When I hear about people who get upset because they don't have access to something and they get so upset because things aren't fair I have little sympathy. Life just isn't fair. If you try to take on that fight it is a losing battle.
There is a meme. Child wants dog. Dad doesn't want dog. Family buys dog. Dad and dog.
What kind of crap is that?
I didn't want a dog. I knew a dog would be a huge pain in the butt. I knew it needed regular walks, expensive vet bills, care, attention and would generally cramp out lifestyle. I insisted no dog.
So here I am walking the dog. Every day for the past four years (almost). Check my Actifit reports if you don't believe me.
But its not just walking the dog. Who is the last one in bed after making sure that the doors and locked and everyone is safe? Me. Who gets stuck with making sure the car is serviced on time? Me. Why? "Because that's a guy thing to do" according to my wife.
Honestly thought I don't think its about the Man or Woman thing.
In 26 years of marriage I've learned a little something. My wife and I are very different people. Beyond just being man and woman we are just wired differently. My wife couldn't figure out North from South if her life depended on it. She loathes paperwork with a passion. She doesn't believe in instruction manuals. She loves shopping for clothes and she can whip up food in just a short period of time. For me? I am very good at directions. I also loathe paperwork but I'm good at getting it done I follow every step when building something and keep the manuals because you never know when they will be handy. It takes me forever to get food cooked because I follow recipe's precisely.
You know what? We are wired differently. In that regard we have learned to lean into each others strengths. I know there are some things that she is good at and let her run with those strengths. She knows there are some things I am much better at and she leans into me for those things. Then there are things we are both terrible at so we muddle through them together.
At the end of the day it isn't about male or female. It is about who does the job better. Get the person who is competent and enjoys what they are doing and you will almost always get a better job done. Male or female doesn't make a difference.
Unfortunately women have gotten a bad deal for an awful lot of history. Traditionally women stayed at home, cooked, cleaned and looked after children while men went off to work, war and so on. The idea was sound traditionally. Women are more valuable for the species. They give rise to the next generation and if they are gone the line dies out. So.... leave them at home which is safer.
Great for genetics but lousy for equality. Society progressed to a point where survival of the species wasn't the issue but old habits died hard and women got stuck in roles that they may not have enjoyed. Men took advantage of the situation and, well, it wasn't very fair at all.
In my view? Equal pay for equal work. Equal access to jobs regardless of gender. As simple as that for me.
.... but....
Then the government steps in. My son hates working with "Diversity Hires". The government wants 50:50 men and women in the workplace. My son is an electrician and at his workplace because of the 50:50 mandate sometimes he gets people hired who are less qualified because they need to hit a quota. Sometimes its a male/female quota. Sometimes its a racial quota to be more inclusive. Regardless, the people who are hired for "diversity" and not for skills stand out. Not in a good way.
What does equality look like to me?
Look at who is the best suited for a task. Choose the person who can do the job the best. Pay them a fair wage for their work. Forget the gender, the race, and other things like that. Equal chance to every person.
Does that mean there may be more men doing pipe bending on a construction site? Probably. Does that mean there may be more women working in people facing jobs? Probably. But if I've learned anything from my wife...get her doing what she is good at and she will outpace me every day of the week. So, look at the person and look at their skills...not their gender.
But of course there may be other opinions and I'd love to hear them. I love comments.
Side note: Written with in 15 minutes while my wife is eating breakfast before I get to drive for 8 hours to get us home. Apologies if I didn't have time for proofreading and typo correction.
