Why is it always the “MAN” and not the “WOMAN”?

by
Ankita Majumder (Sem I, 2023)

Everywhere you go, you look, even in the textbook that you’re reading, there has always been the mention of man and not woman.

My question in this topic is why?

Why is it always the “MAN” being praised by the public and not the “WOMAN”?

From time immemorial we came to notice that in this male dominated society the achievements of woman have been neglected by the public many times.

There is a vast range of achievements that have been conquered by the woman but not many people seems to know about those achievements.

Just like how we remember 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐆𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐠 who invented the printing press but we don’t know about 𝐇𝐞𝐝𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫 who invented a frequency hoping technology to guide missiles during WWII which later paved the way for wireless communication technology like wi-fi, GPS etc.

Just like how we remember 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 who invented the fungus penicillium which later was converted into penicillin but we don’t know about 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 who invented the windshield wipers after noticing how her streetcar driver had to get out of the car everytime there was something on the window and manually clean it.

Just like how we remember 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐀𝐥𝐯𝐚 𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧 for inventing the incandescent light bulb but we don’t know about 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 who invented a video and audio security system after becoming frustrated with the high crime rate and the slow response of police.

Just like how we remember 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐥 for inventing the telephone but we don’t know about 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐣𝐞𝐞 who discovered the drugs that are now used to treat malaria and epilepsy.

Just like how we remember 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐚𝐠𝐞 who invented the first mechanical computer but we don’t know about 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫 who went on to develop the world’s first compiler, which translated code and made it possible to program for multiple computers. This eventually evolved into one of the first programming languages.

And just like how we remember 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐚 𝐁𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐣𝐢 for his involvement in India’s Independence movement but we don’t remember about the females like 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐍𝐚𝐢𝐝𝐮, 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐊𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐡𝐫𝐮 who actively participated in the decision-making process and advocated for India’s independence on the political front.

The society remembers the man who helped better our world. But the same society doesn’t even know the woman who contributed into making the world as we know today.

The society studies about the males that helped inventing gadgets which made our lives better. But the same society doesn’t even mentions the females that helped us get through our daily day routine.

We celebrate the birthdays of the males who helped freeing our country but we don’t even remember the females who sacrificed themselves for our country.

Why is it so? Why is it always the man and not the woman we remember and praise? Why don’t we remember our females who contributed to better the planet, the world.

Why the society blames the woman for something she didn’t had any control over but never says anything to the man who’s fault it is?

We have always known the nature as our “Mother” then why don’t we celebrate her daughters just like how we celebrate her sons?

Information gathered from :

https://www.livescience.com/33749-top-10-inventions-changed-world.html

 

https://www.dosomething.org/us/articles/11-inventions-you-didnt-know-women-had-a-hand-in-making.html

Ethnographic experience