Gender Equality
Moving by quality,
not by numbers
© Iris Pohl
In the world today, the issue of gender equality is more in the spotlight than ever before. The emergence of a non-binary movement has broadened the conversation as to what defines gender, asking why we are limited to being defined by the gender to which we are born, or to a gender at all?
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Gender equality and women’s human rights are still important goals of international achievements, even if in recent years we have seen substantial increases in the number of women in leadership positions, accessing quality education and receiving higher wages.
© Iris Pohl
While these changes are to be celebrated, a deeper insight shows that achieving greater representation by numbers is not the whole answer. Global statistics on the health and wellbeing of women, from the rates of physical and sexual violence towards women, to psychological abuse, self-harm, anxiety, depression, illness, disease, sexual and reproductive health issues and harming practices… the picture is harrowing.
On the other side of the coin, statistics on the health and wellbeing of men tell a similar story. From the extreme rates of suicide amongst young men and highly educated and successful men, to men on men violence, the horrendous violence done by men towards women, mental health, substance abuse, depression, illness and disease … if it’s a ‘man’s world’ that we live in, it is not translating to true health, wellbeing and a fulfilled life for a vast number of men either.
In the struggle for gender equality and gender identity, is it possible that we have lost sight of the bigger picture? What if the first step towards achieving gender equality once and for all, was to question whether the current model of life is working for any of the genders on a broad scale?
What if true advocacy isn’t a power struggle between women and men, but instead looks to address and raise awareness of the outside forces that seek to keep both women and men locked away from expressing from their natural sensitivity and tenderness?
Gender equality cannot be kept as a distant hope, ideal, or policy goal; it needs to be lived, walked and breathed in every area of our lives.
Gender Equality means expressing from our true qualities
At INDERA, we support all people to reconnect to their bodies and build a relationship with themselves that is loving, respectful and caring.
In this safe space, we are able to explore what it feels like to express from our un-gendered bodies, free of the toxic versions of masculinity and femininity that lead to hardness, dismissiveness, competitiveness and violence in men, and lack of self-worth, body issues, comparison and subjugation in women.
Free of these impositions, it soon becomes clear that we are all the same on the inside. Aside from the physical differences, we are all capable of expressing the same level of sensitivity, strength, decency, respect, love and tenderness whether we are in a woman’s body or a man’s body.
In truth, gender equality is never a competition between women and men, it is about removing the false paradigms to make way for the qualities that all men and women share equally when they are free to express who they naturally are on the inside.
What does gender equality mean to INDERA?
Gender equality cannot be kept as a distant hope, ideal or policy goal; it needs to be lived, walked and breathed in every area of our lives.
At INDERA, we are dedicated to setting new standards of harmony, understanding, love and respect between men and women. Because the new standards will resonate deeply with what we know is true inside us, these will spark the true power that is found within us all and will bring a new sense of individual and collective responsibility.
Lasting gender equality will never be achieved through a fight or battle, but by allowing our inner qualities of integrity, sensitivity and strength to be the compass that guides us in all our actions.
If you would like to find out more about INDERA’s gender equality and women’s human rights work, contact us.
© Iris Pohl