Equality – Awareness versus Action

Adya Singh is currently studying at The British School in her final year. In the future, she hopes to delve further into Computer Science and incorporate technological advances in the process of betterment of the society.

Equality – Awareness versus Action

“Equality” – It’s a word that every layman can throw around in the modern day, regardless of whether or not one understands the implications associated with the word.

Needless to say, in the current days the inequality has definitely decreased, but the crux of the matter remains that the progression to complete and utter equality is demanding.

In the era of Internet and technology, where news of rape cases and sexual harassment travels faster than light and messages of condolences come rolling in within split seconds, there are rarely people willing take preventive measures once the deed has long been forgotten. The issue then remains that the majority of us tend to view these misfortunes from a distance and they appear to be nothing more than another an unfortunate yet fleeting article, or another post about a third-party individual. Hence, we are inclined to express our sympathy in the moment itself, and continue without interference, with our day-to-day lives.

However, actions such as these are what highlight the ignorance in our society. This is simply because, when presented with a real-life situation of perhaps sexual harassment, individuals seem to be too scared, or not at all determined to take a protective stance, but rather, prefer to watch the spectacle from a distance and recall tales of it later in the day.

This does not go to say that social media does not play a large role in spreading awareness about the issue, but it is not self-sufficient as the virtual world is not always representative of the real world. Being in a situation where one is placed in a position to take a stance against inequality is what defines the progression towards equality rather than simply being aware of it.

Of course, everyone is not confronted with such a position but that does not go to say that one cannot play an active role in seeking an equal and just society. Whether it be in the way a parent decides to bring up a kid and the values they pass on or whether it be the way an auto-rickshaw driver behaves towards their female passengers at night time, it is all an effort to ensure the comfort and equality of every member.

So let us then depict our awareness of the issue not simply through passive voices but rather through active actions.