"A donkey is like a housewife ... In fact, the donkey is a shade better, for while the housewife may sometimes complain and walk off to her parents' home, you'll never catch the donkey being disloyal to his master"
This is an excerpt from one textbook in India.
A textbook used at schools in Rajasthan (India) compares housewives to donkeys, and suggests the animals make better companions as they complain less and are more loyal to their "masters," reports one newspaper.
The book was approved by the state's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party government but has sparked protests from the party's women's wing.
What do you think?
You can read the whole story here.
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- 2006-04-05 @ 18:55:10
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varshakale
- 2006-04-05 @ 19:08:44
Really. I will go through it. Thanks as always.
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Usksider
Pro - http://www.usksider.co.uk
- 2006-04-05 @ 18:57:47
Well it's nonsense of course. I have a whole bunch of fish that I love dearly, but I'd choose my wife over each and every one of them.
Sorry, I shouldn't be flippant. It's just hard to believe people can actually think this way. -
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varshakale
- 2006-04-05 @ 19:29:41
The minister in charge said that it was just humour.Joke is it being taught.
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phinebooty
- 2006-04-05 @ 19:53:43
they said they were going to remove the text. but it just shows how women arent valued, yet they are the ones producing the damn boys!!
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varshakale
- 2006-04-05 @ 22:26:15
Sometimes humour reflects deep rooted social vaues. Do you agree?
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nan29
- http://afemaleguest.blog.co.uk
- 2006-04-06 @ 04:56:03
Absolutely agree, Varsha. I am sorry to say that that joke reflects deep rooted social values in India. In Indonesia, perhaps the situation is different, but respect to women indeed is not good
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- 2006-04-05 @ 19:58:34
All nonsense of course - it's about power, not gender. Some men just don't want women to talk back and - gasp - may be question their authority.
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varshakale
- 2006-04-05 @ 22:28:47
The joke is the Chief Minister of that state is woman and maried too.
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- 2006-04-06 @ 03:34:39
Women can (not always of course) be even worse than men in that respect - as they pretend to be men and have to prove they are even tougher. We had Margaret Thatcher over here who was like that.
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varshakale
- 2006-04-06 @ 10:14:47
Yes if they represent men more then women.
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- 2006-04-05 @ 20:26:34
What absolute DRIVEL
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- 2006-04-05 @ 21:28:04
I have two Indian friends. Both came to live in the UK about 10 years ago. One ran away from a wedding she was being forced into by her father. The other married an Indian man who has lived here all his life, she tells me he treats her like a dog.....that he is the master and she must obey to his every command. I think it's really sad, I fel so sorry for her. It makes me feel even worse to know that it is practically being taught.
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varshakale
- 2006-04-05 @ 22:31:06
Is it just about Indians? Some notions assume different forms in different countries.
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- 2006-04-06 @ 03:50:51
Aah, stepping into a hornets nest!
I suppose one can get used to anything.
Even insect bites.
In North America where the values are so embedded as to cause us all to be delusional.
I have worked, studied and taught in North America, Caribbean, Africa, Asia.
And it seems to me that to get over the ongoing conflict between genders can be done if and only if true communication exists.
To instil those values in our families, friends, relatives and colleagues and to integrate them into our daily lives is the key.
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varshakale
- 2006-04-06 @ 10:25:07
You are right that communication plays great role in gender relationship. But I am not sure it will done away all the issues without any change in values, perceptions, law, property relations, sharing of powers, roles in family, society, polity ... so many things need to be addressed.
It is not that simple. -
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bighand
- 2006-04-06 @ 12:48:21
What you should do is go to any man that believes that and replace his wife with a donkey. You can tell him that since he thinks donkey is better then he can have donkey.
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varshakale
- 2006-04-06 @ 14:10:48
Nice and appropriate.
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- http://stephiblog.wordpress.com
- 2006-04-06 @ 16:15:30
Hi Varshakale,
The joke might be funny in a sitcom as part of a witty repertoire but it is complete inappropriate in a school text book.
I am sure that they wouldn't have approved the joke if it was the other way round, and the woman said that a donkey is better than a husband, it works with out complaining, eats whatever it is given and doesn't need constant reassuring about the size of its penis.
Steph -
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varshakale
- 2006-04-06 @ 16:46:08
Surely. I believe joke, humour can also be powerful instruments to reinforce stereotypes and gender relations sometimes.
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Got my mail? I wrote about this in the morning at my blog. And sended you e-mail. Flooded his mailbox yet?