Everyone is Different!
It may seem so obvious that it shouldn't even be mentioned but not everyone is the same. Some people are small while others are tall. Some people are intelligent while others aren't as gifted. Some are analytical while some are more creative. Some are women and some are men.
Obvious, right? However, increasingly the world is aiming for all people to be equal. Equality seems to be the main goal. Equal rights! Equal Opportunity! Equal education! Equal access to healthcare! Make a level playing field for all people and when everyone is equal then the world will be a better place.
Don't Believe It.
Equality doesn't exist and likely never will. Some are born into rich families or rich countries while others are not. Some are born gifted with abilities and talents far above the norm while others are born with defects and deficiencies which are a huge challenge to a normal life.
I'd much rather celebrate individual differences and help each person reach their full potential rather than try to make everyone EQUAL
Don't be fooled: There are men and women
Another thing which I would consider to be blatantly obvious. As a child I knew the difference between the boys and the girls. Currently in Canada there is a push that "boy" and "girl" are suggestions. Which is why I find this:
to be particularly annoying. The idea is to use Ze/Zim to make a gender neutral pronoun so we don't offend anyone by saying they are female or male
If you live in a country where women and women and men are men then you may not understand what I'm saying. If you are truly one of those people born with an ambiguous sexuality then I'm happy to call you by either male or female as you choose.
However, I will admit that I'm old school. I believe in right and wrong. Good and evil. Male and female. Very binary. I don't think I can adjust to a pronoun which doesn't acknowledge the differences in the world.
Beware the Stereotypes!
While I believe in a binary worldview or women and men, I do not believe in the stereotypes. Believing that all women will be "motherly" is silly. Some women don't have the maternal instinct. Believing that all men will be sex crazed philanderers is just as silly. Some men are devoted and monogamous. Do you believe the stereotype that middle aged asian women are terrible drivers...well, there may be some truth to that just kidding ... When I was driving autocross there were far more men than women drivers but one of the women drivers was just awesome!
So, please, every person is an individual with their own unique strengths and weaknesses.
There are Gender Differences
While I would strongly discourage stereotyping, there are differences between male and female. Men tend to be more agressive. Women tend to be more talkative. Men tend to be stronger. Women tend to be smaller. Women are also more likely to be pregnant than Men....maybe I'm wrong on that point but generally speaking 😉
However, even within each gender there are significant variations!
My son is a decent sized guy. He's 6ft tall and weighs about 100kg. He works out regularly so he's strong. In general he is a pretty strong healthy man. If you are looking for a security guard he might be a decent choice.
You may think. Great I'll hire a man because they are stronger and bigger.... But...
My son recently went on a date with a nice lady and he enjoyed her company. He was a little intimidated by her though as she was 6' 4" tall, she was about 115kg, she was incredibly strong, flexible, and trained in Mixed Martial Arts. My son was intimidated by her because she was just that much stronger and more capable a fighter than he is.
You may think...I won't hire her because she is a woman. But...
You would be doing your company a disservice. That lady would be an excellent fit for the job because of who she is and what she does without regard to her gender!
Jobs shouldn't be gender specific
Which leads me to the highlight. Jobs shouldn't be specific to gender.
Engineers are traditionally men. At the University I used to go to there were 500+ men and 3 women in the Engineering department. I know because a friend of mine was one of the women there. One of her problems was that there weren't any women's washrooms in the entire building. Only for the men.
Something seems wrong with that
I mean, contrary to what women may say...they do have to shit sometimes
On the other side of things. My nephew Kristian is a nurse. He is very good at what he does. However, in the hospital he works at there are many women nurses and very few male nurses.
Why?
Some jobs are more attractive to men and some jobs are more attractive to women. But...No woman should be kept from following a job she is qualified in simply because she is a woman, and vice versa for men.
When should we strive for equality...and when not
Personally I believe in equality...to a degree.
..... Equal jobs should be equal pay... Obviously.
..... All job applicants should be treated equally based on skill not gender.
..... Every person had equal worth in the sight of God so people should treat every person equally based on their inherent value as a person.
..... People should be judged on who they are as a person. Not judged on male or female. Give an equal chance to every person.
But....
The Canadian government wants to take that last statement a little to far though. The government believe that any workplace where the number of men and women is different is discriminatory and therefore illegal. If there are less than 50% male nurses then that is discrimination. So, the hospital is supposed to hire more men than women to equal things out...even if the women applicants are more qualified
In an auto mechanics shop with primarily male employees the same thing would apply. It is discriminatory if it doesn't hire more women to bring things to balance (50:50). Which means hiring more women....even if there are more qualified male applicants.
Discrimination does exist and it's not necessarily bad
Many people may not agree with this but I'll state it anyways.
Not all discrimination is bad.
Take this for example:
Yesterday I went out shopping and I really had to use the washroom. The men's washroom was out of order. The women's washroom was for women only. I was discriminated again! Was I offended? No. Some women feel odd about sharing a washroom with a man. I respect that and honor their desire to have their own washroom.
Indeed. I've seen the line-ups to the women's washroom during intermission in plays, sports events, concerts and the like. I enjoy taking the express line to the men's washroom and avoiding that traffic jam to the women's washroom!
Today I went to signup at the local gym (Club 16 fitness). My wife and I pay the same monthly fee but she gets more facilities. She gets access to the main gym and the ladies only portion. I pay the same amount and only access the main area. I could also argue that I'm excluded from the ladies changing area as well as its off limits to the men.
Again. Many man have made women feel uncomfortable by being obnoxious in their sexual desires. As a result I don't blame the women for wanting a little more privacy. I respect their desire to workout without men nearby. Indeed I encourage it! There are some unbelievably gorgeous women who go to the gym and I find it hard not to take a look (or two, or three. It is inappropriate but still its like a traffic accident...hard to look away from).
Last weekend my my wife and I went to a beautiful park. She went to join the Ladies hiking group. I got to spend two hours with the dog. Obviously I'm not allowed with the women hikers. Again I got discriminated against because I wasn't allowed to join the women's group.
Again, I support their decision. Sometimes women just like to hang out with other women. Why should I force myself into their group?
Final Thoughts
Every person is different which means every person should be treated differently.
Every person is different and shouldn't be treated as a stereotype of limited by someone elses view of what a man or woman should be.
Every person is different so trying to make everyone the same is disrespectful to the individual.
Treat every person with fairness. Help every person achieve the most they can. Give everyone a fair chance based on their abilities.
However, not everyone is equal so not everyone should be treated equally.
Maybe it is not fair, but then again life isn't fair.
But I'll always choose the most capable person to do something each and every time.