Spirit Has No Gender Analysis

Spirit Has No Gender
“You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation.”― Brigham Young. I was born in a very conservative family. My mom had fixed views of what it meant to be a girl and what it meant to be a boy. She was always trying to convince me that I was not as strong or smart as my brother. She was always more excited to see my brother to succeed, and she would give him more money and a greater portion of things than me. And when I would ask why she would simply reply, “You should be in the home with me and men should be outside… they work harder than us, so they deserve more.” She didn’t realize that this idea was arbitrary and often times incorrect. I have changed, and I broke the rule that says,
I was taught to believe that our culture was the culture of the world--that our culture was the best in the world, and all the others were corrupt. I remember how me and my sisters used to repeat after my mom and say, “ Nothing shames a man but an empty pocket”.The continuous encouragement to accept these ideas led me support the culture of man-female inequality, in spite of my own wellbeing and personal
Then I had a debate with an Egyptian friend about the male guardianship system in the gulf. I disagreed with her, because I believed that women needed guidance and help; they couldn’t think or decide for themselves on important matters. I tried convincing her of my adopted perspective, and she suggested a book by Nawal Sadawi called “ Memoirs of a woman doctor.” Over time, and very slowly, my mind started to change. It wasn’t immediate, but I recognized the small disagreements that popped up between my mom and I. She would tell me that I shouldn’t do something or I shouldn’t wear a certain article of clothing, and I wouldn’t accept her suggestion or reason. Until, one day, she came into my room and noticed a book on my night stand. She questioned why I was reading a book by this author and insisted it would change me. I explained that my generation was different, with different views, but we weren’t enemies. Even now, we disagree on some things, but I was able to open her mind a little and at least gain her respect. It wasn’t long before I was watching videos online about equality, women’s rights and attending lectures on feminism. I would listen with an open mind and the perspectives I heard really resonated with me. I could relate to the idea that my mind was just as capable of producing great thoughts and using reason to make important decisions; I didn’t need a man to do this for me. Not only did I not need a man, but because of my open-mind and