Recently I concluded a lovely graphic novel by the name of Y: The Last Man. This super-engrossing tome by the legendary Brian Vaughn talks about the possibility of a world where every man has suddenly died and women now have to take over and run the world.
Now that does sound like the veritable Garden of Eden, but not so easy mate. For, as the reader and the women in the graphic novel realised, many jobs had never been done by women. Sure there were engineers and doctors who were women but they weren’t spread across all levels. Consequently, while everybody understood a part of the process, nobody understood the entire top-to-bottom chain of the process. Then in fields like religion women didn’t know how to appoint a Pope, or tougher still, how to adjudicate and govern like the pontiff.
From bike maintenance to air traffic control, from making metal tools to repairing the railways, a lot of these jobs fell by the roadside as women realised how they had been left out of them and now when they needed these skills, they didn't know what to do.
Mind you, even if I survived such a scenario I wouldn’t be much use to the women for I too know nothing of all those aforementioned fields.
But even less technical fields had suffered till some time ago. Here in India, it isn’t too long back that women were finally allowed to serve alcohol in our country. Before that, the idea of a woman bartender was unheard of. Today, while many have taken to showcasing their skills behind the bar, they still remain outnumbered by the men in that space. What I do enjoy is that very often a lady bartender can bring a certain nuanced elegance to a drink that escapes most men bartenders.
The reason for this is simple: men, in all their vanity, do things to please only one person — themselves. Or, more accurately, to gain the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahas’ of the gathered crowd which then, in turn, pleases them. Women, they listen. Their drinks will be aimed at making you feel good about yourself. Consequently, if it earns them a reputation, they are more than happy to soak it all in.
Gender equality is crucial, thus, not just for the sake of women but for the sake of balance and unbridled creativity. Men and women were not created equal; they were created different. The ideal world would be one which harnesses the potential of this fact rather than exploit it to suit one of the genders.
And on that note, I think it’s high time men manned up and wore skirts!
The writer is a lover of wine, song and everything fine
