THIS is apropos of Dr Shahid Siddiqui’s article ‘The gender divide’ (Jan 17).

Numerous studies prove the differences in the mental makeup of the two genders. Since we increasingly find it ‘unscientific’ to bring God or religion into our discussions, I would only like to refer the writer to one of the numerous researches titled ‘Male and Female Brains’ by Marian Diamond. This piece of research may be accessed at http://www.newhorizons.org/neuro/diamond_male_female.htm).

This and other studies have shown significant differences between male and female brains alone, not to speak of physical and emotional differences between the two.

I agree with the writer that the family plays a vital role as a social institution and that girls should be given confidence and the opportunity to explore and express their potential. However, removing the divide completely would result in the kind of societal disintegration that we clearly observe in western ‘developed’ societies.

Choosing to digress from the path chosen for us by nature has resulted in social and mental problems in the West, clearly visible and being studied now. The mental stress that women undergo as a result of the expected or perceived equality of genders is too high because of the fact that they were created by nature to play a vital role in the ‘family’ and not at the ‘workplace’.

I certainly do not mean to say that women should not work, but that their primary role should be to strengthen the fabric of society instead of trying to prove that they are equal to men in every way, because they are not and there is nothing wrong with it.

It is perfectly normal for a woman to be different from a man and not vice versa. I think women should be proud of being women and not try to be like men. This very difference or ‘divide’ between the two is what brings the best out of both the genders.

TAHA ABBASI
Karachi

Source: Dawn

Date:1/19/2011