My Vision of a Gender Neutral World

"Change begins when society keeps the women at the heart of it"

Namaste, I Sushmita Das belong to a country where we are taught to worship women as we consider that women are the incarnation of the Goddess. Regrettably many have become ignorant of the fact that they must respect women, they must give them equal rights and opportunities so that they can live a life with dignity.

Now when I'm given the opportunity by the World Pulse to shout my vision of a better and more gender-neutral world, then I would love to share my thoughts of an extremely beautiful world post-pandemic.

This pandemic has taught us many lessons regarding our personal as well as professional lives.

Before I begin with my vision of a better world, I would like to share my experience and lessons that I learned from the 2020 lockdown, although I'm still learning some more things during this second wave of the pandemic in my country India, yet I would like to let the world know what we can change post-pandemic and what my learnings are from the pandemic!

My Vision of Post Pandemic World

1.Work-Life Balance

We need a more flexible environment and work culture which include giving women the flexibility to work and look after their personal lives. 

During the pandemic, women have suffered the most juggling in between their families and professional lives. Just sharing an incident of one of my colleagues who is a mother of a one-year-old baby faced a major challenge in keeping the right balance between her personal and professional life. 

I know many working women who had to face a salary cut as they were not able to devote their time maximum to their work.

2. Fair Pay for Women

1. The marketplace needs to place career value on work skills and talents learners at homes and in the community.


2. Women must be included in more leadership and advocacy roles. These are the real skills that women must learn and practice. Why only men have such roles to play when women can also do the same tasks with better efficiency?


3. Women must be equally paid. Such gaps must be closed. The important roles played by women such as caregivers, teaching, nursing, and women at frontlines must be compensated in accordance with their real value to the economy.

3.Eradicating the Stereotypes and Societal Norms

Our society needs to stop stereotyping and change the norms which hinder the progress of women. 

Many women step back from taking up the profession they desire to own as a career because of the thought-"what society will think or say if I choose this as a career"!

It is perceived by society that household chores are meant to be performed by women only. And this pandemic has taught us no work should be stereotyped, if men share the burden of women within a household, the work-life balance can easily be created with ease.

4.Women in Power Sharing and Decision-making Process

I envision a world where more women come in front to voice their opinions out. Train the women to take part in the political and economic development of a nation. 

We need more women leaders like Kamala Harris, who can lead the world with their intellect and a better vision for the welfare of all. Women leaders like Kamala Harris the Vice President of the United States, Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand are the most inspiring examples of women in leadership roles.

Women are known for their kindness and empathy, therefore when more women will come into the decision-making process, I'm sure that this world will become a more kind and empathetic place for everyone to thrive in.

5.Safer Cities for Women all around the World

When it comes to the safety of women, we all know what the current situation is! No one in my country or probably anywhere around the world except for a few places will dare to step out alone at midnight or before!!! 

You know why? Because we women are afraid of the monsters who aren't the real ghosts rather the humans who look for prey and for a few of the men, who don't have control over their libidos, target the women to keep the hold on when they find a woman alone! 

There are many Nirbhaya in our society who lost their lives whenever they tried to step out alone at night.

Cases of street harassment have shaken the conference of women to walk boldly in the streets without having taken alternative routes to avoid the incidents of harassment.

Therefore I'm aspiring for a world, where women can walk with confidence, through whichever way they want to cross over, and at whatever time they want to travel, be it late at night or early in the morning, our streets need to be safe.

Men shouldn't behave like predators at night or day, rather guide them through the way with empathy and generosity.

6.Educated Girl turning out to be a Confident Woman

I believe in educating young girls. Due to this unprecedented pandemic, many young girls had to give up their education either due to the loss of their parents' job or the burden on their shoulders to look after the younger siblings.

The issues of child marriage have abstained my girls from attaining higher education. The Asian and African countries are the worst affected due to the pandemic COVID-19, where a lot of girls couldn't finish their education.

Imagine a situation wherein they would have acquired a good education and turned out to be economically independent women!

Sadly it will not happen anymore!

But we change-makers can make this possible by educating more girls, by providing them the necessary training, and enrolling them into many skill development programs.

I aspire for a world where girls have as equal opportunity as boys have these days.

To conclude-

I want this world to be filled with Gratitude!

Gratitude for what we have, who we have and who we are! 

I want every young girl to know her fundamental rights and stand for them if anyone tried violating those rights!

I want every woman to be economically independent!

I want every woman to emerge as a great leader in her life!

I want every woman to speak her opinion out!

I want every woman who faces violence, to teach a lesson to the perpetrator who tried threatening her dignity!

Thank you

Namaste!

-Sushmita Das