Is the Man the Oppressed?

Women in various history books and records have for long occupied spaces created by men, and still do; meaning, men have continued, and continue to make decisions for women, be it directly or indirectly. In assessing this statement, the obvious fact would be that women are the oppressed as they are not given the freedom to make decisions and live their lives as they would want to. However, I am tempted to argue otherwise, although, not forgoing the fact that women have always and continue to be oppressed, but also in a bid to embrace a different perspective of this reality that men also face. It is no brainer that the world for the most part is more favorable to men than it is to women, however, it will be of big benefit to society if we as people make the effort to assess the unnecessary pressure that men go through and the reason that is. On this account, I contend that men are a product of societal’s pressure, resulting in an indirect form of oppression.

The difference between the oppression that men face and the oppression that women face is that women are oppressed by both society and men, while men are oppressed by just the society, enforced by institutions. An example of such societal pressure toward men can be seen in one of my favorite poems, “Routine” by Esmeraldo Ribeiro, which simply says, “There is always a man telling me what to do.” This very short but powerful poem follows an obvious pattern we are all too familiar with- that women are always taking orders from men. Although this is very true, it, however, leaves us at the expense of not addressing the root of what the issue might be. It does not make us question why men have to give orders and who put men in control of decision-making. These questions will make one realize that men do not get the freedom to be themselves either because society has made it seem inherent for men to be in control, and in charge. Therefore, this form of oppression does not only unwelcome men to be themselves, but it also requires that they fit into societal’s definition of what men are supposed to be. 

Hence, in addressing the issue of gender issues and disparities, I will continue to advocate for men as well because they go through a form of oppression that is not all too familiar. I believe it is high time we started treating the root cause of the problem, rather than just the symptoms. This way, we are able to meet in the middle, and allow individuality to take precedent.