A Modest Proposal for holding Fathers Equally Essay

Traditionally, the concept of abortion, child-rearing, home management, prostitution and even pornography are all attributed to women – women as subject. In the issue of abortion, women are more likely judged as immoral or not good parent for either aborting or not aborting her child (for certain reasons). In Child-rearing, the mothers are the very ones who are blamed if it happened that her children grew rebellious and defiant. Home management is in all likelihood tagged as women’s function. In the issues of prostitution and pornography, women are the central subjects for judgment. They are more seen as immoral as compared to how men are treated. In short, there are still unresolved problems regarding gender roles and gender biased structure of society. This essay addresses the issue of making fathers or men also accountable for the occurrence of such societal conflicts. Traditional Gender Roles By tracing our history, we could arrive at an evaluation that women and the mothers were discriminated in the society. Having a patriarchal structure of society wherein men or the fathers are labeled as superior over women or the mothers. The traditional structure inside the house was that the father was regarded as the head of the house whom has the highest authority. He has the final say in all things concerning the family. His well-established role as father was providing the needs of the family. Consequently, given such structure inside the home, the community and even the whole society became attached to that particular belief that only men or the fathers have the right to be the head or the bearer of the highest authority otherwise conflict would arise. Because of this traditional conception women and mothers were viewed as the destroyers of order and peace in the society if they would insist themselves as equal as or higher than men and the fathers. Recommendation According to Katha Pollit, the fathers should also be accountable for all the conflicts that arise inside the house, in the community, and in the society. (Barnet & Bedau, 2004) They (the fathers) are not really attributed with perfect characteristics. They have also the predisposition of doing wrong things just like the mothers. When the marriage relationship failed, the mother should not the only one whom should be blamed. The father has also part in that failed relationship. When a child grew up as disobedient and rebellious, the mother is not the only one who is responsible for disciplining her child. The father, being also a parent of his child, has the responsibility of disciplining and molding his child’s attitude. In the case of abortion, mothers are not the only persons who make the problem. The father has also a responsibility towards the pregnancy of the mother. In this contemporary period, women are asserting and fighting for their equal rights with men. They are consistent with their campaign of establishing laws that would make them equal with men. In cases of parenting and marriage relationship, it is really unintelligible to say that only women have this responsibility of taking care and disciplining the children and working out their marriage life. The father has also such responsibilities toward his children and his wife. As a conclusion, all must be enlightened with the fact that everyone has a responsibility towards each other and towards the society. Men and the fathers are not exempted from this kind of responsibility. Women or the mothers cannot manage the home without the assistance and aid of her partner, the father or her husband. Both of them are responsible for molding and guiding their children. And truly, it takes two to tango. Reference: Barnet, S. , & Bedau, H. (2004). Current Issues and Enduring Questions (7th student ed. ). Bedford/St. Martin’s.