Written by Vannakserey Raksmey Var – Partner and Project Liaison, Cambodia

It seems to be universally accepted that culture is an integral part—or “the heart”—of a society and that without it, a nation is incomplete. Despite their significant role in defining a society, cultural traditions often perpetuate inequality and gender discrimination. In many cultures, girls and boys are treated differently starting from infancy. In China, for example, a baby boy is considered a blessing whereas to a baby girl, her gender is a curse. Chinese government policy often reinforces gender discrimination. The one-child policy, for example, forces parents to opt for abortion once they learn the unborn fetus is a girl. Cultural tradition dictates that the boy will maintain the clan by passing on the family surname to the next generation. The girl, on the other hand, will take her husband’s surname. As a result of this tradition, boys are considered more valuable than girls and when a family is limited to only one child, the preferred gender is obvious.

The discrimination does not stop here. After birth, sons and daughters are treated differently and unfairly. Traditional gender roles dictate that a boy’s duty is to act as the breadwinner whereas a girl’s duty is to act as the homemaker and caretaker. Consequently, little emphasis is placed on girls’ education. These traditional roles also have an effect on the psychology of girls and women: many are conditioned to be dependent and lazy and just wait to be married off to a rich guy. In addition, many men prefer not to marry well-educated women as they don’t like their wife to be smarter than them. Girls are likewise discouraged, by society at large, from obtaining higher levels of education because well-educated and capable women are considered too proud and arrogant which leads to higher divorce rates. Thus there is not only a lack of incentive for educating girls, but female ignorance is often considered a virtue.

Is there any merit in these perspectives? Is it the case that well-educated women acquire a level of pride which exacerbates marital problems, or is it in fact the case that ill-educated women feel too powerless and dependent to stand up for themselves? Women who lack education, skills, or the capacity for self sufficiency are incapable of supporting themselves. They are voiceless. They have no choice but to remain patient, accept their arrangements, and even learn to live with domestic violence and abuse. Given their high level of dependency, to do otherwise is tantamount to suicide.

What’s more, the culture has a strong influence on girls’ perceptions of themselves. Because they are conditioned to feel less valuable than boys, they often themselves believe that their futures don’t deserve the same level of investment as their male counterparts. They accept subordination not only to their husbands and fathers, but to their male siblings, as girls often work so their brothers can attend school. In sum, they are not encouraged to become educated, self-reliant or pursue their dreams.

I asked a waitress at the Freedom Hotel restaurant where I stayed in Siem Reap why she quit school at grade 8. “Our family was poor” she replied, “and since daughter is not as important and valuable as son, I quit school to help my family eke out a living and to support my older brother’s education.” I really don’t like the perception that since the daughter is of less value, less or no education is suitable for her. And I have very little doubt that this mindset is strongly influenced by traditional culture.

What does it mean to preserve culture? If this culture is maintained, so is gender discrimination. We need to recognize that protecting human rights and protecting culture are often antithetical goals. To try and pursue both at the same time is to ignore the deep roots of gender inequality and to treat it as a superficial endeavor. We need to highlight gender issues and their sources…otherwise they will just be left behind, ignored, forgotten, faked, and fade into oblivion without question.

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Filed under: Education on May 20th, 2008