"Why man-made? Why can’t it be people-made?"
We got six woman achievers to answer six-year-old Teresa Manimala's important question. Listen up!
We got six woman achievers to answer six-year-old Teresa Manimala's important question. Listen up!
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00:00Why is it man-made? Why can't it be people-made?
00:03Why is it not human-made?
00:05Because aren't women building the Eiffel Tower or something?
00:09These words were written in a patriarchal society.
00:13But that is changing now.
00:15Instead of mankind, we start saying humanity.
00:18Instead of chairman, say chairperson.
00:22And instead of man-made, we say artificial.
00:25A designation or a profession shouldn't be linked with genders.
00:28It should be genderic.
00:38Why is the name man-made?
00:39Why can't it be people-made?
00:41Where did you see that?
00:42In social studies, it says man-made or natural.
00:46Why is it man-made?
00:47Why can't it be people-made?
00:49And why is it not human-made?
00:51Because aren't women building the Eiffel Tower or something?
00:56Yeah, yeah, that's a good question.
00:58And here, Brian, what's the question?
01:00Are all men...
01:01Who was saying that?
01:04Evelyn Minkin.
01:07Aren't all women...
01:09All men are created equal.
01:11Why aren't women created equal too?
01:14Yes.
01:15Why didn't you see all people are created equal?
01:20And also, why is it man-made?
01:22Aren't women allowed to build stuff?
01:26Yes, of course.
01:28Hmm.
01:30It implies women also.
01:32It's not nice, right?
01:40You beautiful little Teresa.
01:43You're right.
01:44Why is it man-made and why is it not people-made?
01:48Have women not built it too?
01:50Of course they have.
01:52And of course it should be people-made.
01:54We live in a society where the patriarchy is so ingrained
01:59that no one questions it.
02:00It's systemic at this point.
02:01So honestly, good on you for asking the question.
02:04Because that's how it starts.
02:05It starts when someone who's born into a world
02:07where they're expected to be subservient
02:09stands up and asks why.
02:10So the fact that you noticed it and called it out
02:14is already half the battle won.
02:16So yay for that.
02:18Now, how this could have happened
02:21may have been because, you know,
02:22many, many, many years ago
02:24the men were forced to go out and work
02:27and women were forced to stay home
02:29and look after the household.
02:31Now, what happened because of that
02:32is that there were a lot of men
02:35in public and social spaces.
02:38Majority of men.
02:39And that started translating into language.
02:43Men started dominating in language as well.
02:46And it didn't really evolve at the same pace as humans did.
02:50But what we need to understand
02:52is that these words were written in a patriarchal society.
02:56But that is changing now.
02:58With young kids like you asking these relevant questions,
03:02we are changing.
03:04The world needs to realize that these words
03:06and these rules are not fair.
03:08We all are going out and doing everything,
03:12maybe more than men.
03:14And it is a time to change those lines.
03:18And it should be human made by now.
03:20I will share an example with you.
03:23I also don't feel good or feel nice about the fact
03:26that people call me female poet.
03:28Or you know how people call female entrepreneurs
03:31or female leaders.
03:34A designation or a profession shouldn't be linked with genders.
03:37It should be generic, right?
03:39What we can do moving forward
03:41is make language more inclusive.
03:43Not just for men and women,
03:45but also more LGBTQ and non-binary inclusive.
03:49Now, what we can do is make small changes,
03:53you know, like change terminology, replace words.
03:56So instead of mankind, we start saying humanity.
03:59Instead of chairman, say chairperson.
04:03And instead of man-made, we say artificial.
04:06We as the younger generation need to do what we can,
04:08particularly those of us in positions of privilege and power,
04:11to add to that wave and to fight it.
04:13Because the future is female.
04:14I can't wait for you to grow up, break those rules,
04:17and make new ones which do not differentiate
04:20between man and woman.
04:22You, my little one, are going to change the world.