Double standard in judgment?
We have heard of double standard in workplaces, say, women get less paid than men, or boss-women have hard time communicating with subordinate male employees.
However what I want to talk about, is double standard in judgment of their deeds.
For example if an old man marries a young woman, we call the woman “the gold digger” (specially if she is blonde). We make no derogatory remark about the man, some people even regard him as the victim of devious blonde!
On the other hand, when a woman marries a much younger man, what do we call her? We call her a “cougar”! And feel pity for the young man that has to live with an old cougar. In some cases we call the woman “senile”, the young man “charlatan”, and her relatives try to save her and her money from the “charlatan”! In both cases, the woman is the subject of our judgment, not the man.
Or we have seen or heard of old men who marry younger women and have children. What do we do?
We never feel bad at all. Well, if a man wants to have children, it is his right.
However if a woman in her late fifty or early sixty wants to have a child, we call her a selfish person who does not care about the child she is bringing to the world! Please give me a break!
A woman is a mother by instinct, no matter the age.
I know they say about medical terms and risks of late pregnancy, like old egg and incapability of the womb. But how about an old sperm that they say can cause autism?
So a man can enjoy the pleasure of having sex, young companion and parenthood at any time in his life. But for a woman, “the right time” and “right companion” are two important facts of her life.
Please do not get me wrong! I am not for or against any of them. However I am talking about the fact that “wrong is wrong, no matter the gender.” If enjoying the sex and parenthood in old age is right, it should be right for men and women. If it is wrong, then it is wrong for both sexes.
There are so many examples of double standard in the society. We as women should fight against them and correct the common misuse.
This is one of the ways that women can find their right position in the world!