10 Tweets That Tell Us How Enormously Wrong Things Are, Even Though We’re In 2016!

By Lipi Mehta for Youth Ki Awaaz:

When Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau was asked why it was important to him that his cabinet was ‘gender balanced’, he smiled and replied, “Because it’s 2015!” Hell yeah, no further explanations needed. It’s ridiculous now that we think of it, that such a question even had to be asked. But let’s face it — it’s 2016 and such questions will be asked this year too. It’s 2016 and we still don’t have basic equal rights across the world and many more Trudeaus might need to make many more such statements before we can see change happening across the world. Yes, of course, there are a few things that make the optimist in us believe that this year will be better than the last, but we can’t ignore how much more still needs to be done.

A Twitter trend, #Its2016AndWeStillDon’t, revealed just that. While many (and I mean MANY) tweets were about also about how One Direction and its members can be ‘real’ (Pls Liam, stop now), and how many of us still haven’t received a hug from Justin Bieber (the pain is real), there were some others that specifically caught my attention. Read them here and you’ll know how it really, really sucks that we’re in 2016, but have a long way to go.

1. All of these things.

2. I never ask for it.

In India, a woman faces sexual violence every 20 minutes. And it’s utterly shameful that this is one of the reasons why women are hesitant to report it.

3. It’s abominable that this still happens.

A rapist causes rape. Not anyone’s clothes or appearance or the time of day or anything else. Take a look at some of the horrifying things victim-blamers have said. Still need more reason to believe that we need to stop this now?

4. Dammit, yes.

According to WHO, 1 out of 4 people in the world are likely to be affected by a mental health issue at some point of time in their lives. Despite this, we still need someone to be affected with a physical disease for them to be taken seriously. (Read: I Wish I Had A Physical Illness Instead, So People Would Believe I Was Unwell)

5. Let’s not be dismissive of this, please.

Globally, an estimated 350 million people suffer from depression. Let’s not brush it away as ‘just a phase’ or ‘a bad day’. It’s important that we know what it is and how it can affect us or someone we care about. Here’s a 5-minute guide to understanding depression and how to deal with it.

6. Body shaming is real.

Accepting people for who they are as people, and not based on how they look — of course, that’s how it should be, but really not how it is. Societal norms and stigma too, force an individual to try and ‘be’ or ‘look’ a certain way and that’s just… no. (Read: I Will Use The Word ‘Fat’ Without Feeling Sorry, But Will Society Let Me?)

7. Really heartbreaking.

We still live in a world where kids are forced to adhere to gender norms when it’s really the time they should be free to explore their sexuality, and embrace who they are. Take for instance the story of trans teen Shivy, who was forced to be a ‘proper girl’ by his parents. And the worst part? This has even forced many young people to commit suicide.

8. You’ll need a minute to take this in.

In India, actors like Anushka Sharma and Priyanka Chopra have recently spoken out against this but it’s thoroughly upsetting how we don’t have a clear answer to when women and girls across the world will have equal opportunities. To begin with, should we first embrace ‘feminism’ instead of thinking it’s a bad word?

9. Sometimes we don’t even realise that this still happens.

Apart from sanitary pads still being taxed, let’s take a step back and acknowledge the pervasive stigma that still exists when it comes to menstruation. However, with people across genders taking it upon themselves to smash the taboos and challenge patriarchy, hope is definitely alive.

10. And to encapsulate, that’s that.

How long till we realise that those who are ‘different’ are actually just who they are? And acceptance is just so much better than putting people in boxes, isn’t it?

Originally published on Youth Ki Awaaz.