A Childhood for Women

I was born and raised in a culture that favours men over women. Ever since I was born, knowing that I was a girl, my father was not very pleased because my mother did not give him the first son.

Then, when I was growing up, I asked my mother many times why my younger brothers were allowed to come home late, not having to worry about doing house chores, while I was always asked to stay home to help my Mum cooking, clean and tidy the house. My mother just explained because they are boys, she didn't expect much. As I am a girl, I should work hard at home so that I can become a good wife and will be able to find a good husband in the future.

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As a 10-year-old girl, I only care about why I can't hang out like the boys. They got to play all kinds of fun games in rice fields, go fishing and catch crabs in rivers while I was always told to stay home instead. I would love to have fun like them as well. I was too young to worry about stuff that I didn't understand.

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Every time there was a party or gathering at my home, my brothers didn't have to worry much about cooking and cleaning, while my mother always asked me to help with the chores.

At first, I was very upset because there are many things guys can do but girls can't, but gradually I got used to it. After that, I didn't bother to ask anymore, I just saw that it was a woman's responsibility and duty to take care of her family.

Over time, I often avoided and refused to attend those parties so that I wouldn't have to be busy with things I didn't want to do. I used to be jealous of my brother and I thought it would be great if I were a boy.

Witnessing that many women have to work so hard, scarifying their lives to take care of the whole family, while men don't care or pay attention to the suffering of women, I thought to myself: "I am better off living alone. I won't have to force myself to do things I don't like any more".

So if you ask me what still needs to be achieved for women, I would say that I wish women could have a childhood in which they could live a life that is right with their ages, without having to bear the burden or the expectation that society often sets for them. Because I know there are many places in the world that women/girls are not able to have their childhood in a normal way.