Men and Women Should Have Equal Rights — Argumentative Essay

“Behind every successful man there is a woman.” All great men in their autobiographies have acknowledged this fact. It is therefore inconceivable to deny them equal rights in society. After all they are also human beings, endowed with the same mental, emotional, and physical faculties possessed by men. This realisation dawned after over two centuries of revolutionary social and political struggle. Great revolutionaries like Voltaire, Karl Marx, and even Mahatma Gandhi inspired the masses with their ideology of freedom, justice, and equality. Their ideology paved the way for a more equitable and socially benevolent political order, eventually leading to democracy. Under this political dispensation, equal rights including the right to adult franchise was guaranteed to all, irrespective of sex, religion, caste, or creed. Thus in the age of enlightenment to deny equal right to women, would be like adopting an ostrich like approach, oblivious of the present realities and their contribution to society.

Women today play a complementary and important role in the family. Nature has gifted them with special attributes, so that the human race could continue to grow and prosper. Thus while men are endowed with virile strength, women are endowed with humane sensibilities and emotions like love, compassion, and care. These are extremely vital for the upbringing of the future generation, who are the beacon of hope for the nation. Women are the fulcrums around which the family revolves. She plays an indispensable role as a homemaker, mother, and sister.

Intellectually they are second to none. A cursory glance at the high school or secondary school results, show a higher pass out percentage of girls than boys. They are thus blessed with the same or even better mental and intellectual power than men. More and more women are now working shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts in almost all fields of human activity. They are venturing into new fields that were till recently considered to be the exclusive domain of males, like aviation, defence, and even space. Their contribution in the field of education and healthcare is a well-acknowledged fact.

“The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” This is true because as a mother, she inculcates spiritual and moral values in the child who are the future leaders. Outside her home, she moulds the destiny of children as teacher, counsellor, and guide. As a doctor, nurse, or a social worker, she provides health care facilities to the community. Her contribution is indeed invaluable for the well-being, growth, and economic development of society and the country.

Quantitatively they comprise about fifty per cent of the human population and also contribute significantly to the GDP of the country. Taking note of their invaluable contribution, the developed and developing countries have accorded women their rightful place in society, by giving them equal rights in all respects. They not only have the right to vote, but also have equal right to property, education, and work. This has resulted in their emancipation, and consequently a renaissance in modern society, making it more progressive and advanced. On the other hand, countries which have denied equal rights to women continue to be backward in all spheres, including social and technological.

Undoubtedly, men and women complement each other and should have equal rights in all respects. The need of the hour is not to question this reality, but to devise ways and means to ameliorate their lot. There is need to provide them proper educational and vocational training, so that they grow and develop to their optimum potential. This would not only enrich the society, but would also help in the economic growth and development of the country.