Why Things Are Man-Made & Not Human-Made? This Little Girl’s Take on Everyday Sexism is a Must-Watch!

The girl asks why books use the term “man-made” instead of “people-made” for all things not natural in the world. 

New Delhi: We don’t often realise that the way we speak predominantly affects what we think about gender equality and gender roles. Needless to say, language is a breeding ground of patriarchy and plays a huge part in strengthening sexism. One such video questioning the reality of everyday sexism is going viral and for all the right reasons.

On Wednesday, Rohit Chadda, CEO Digital Publishing at Zee Group, shared a video of a young girl asking her mother some pertinent questions about the hierarchical tradition of placing men above all other genders. The girl asks why books use the term “man-made” instead of “people-made” for all things not natural in the world.

“Why is it man-made? Aren’t women allowed to build stuff? Why is it not people-made?”, asks this young girl who seems quite perplexed with the state of the world when it comes to gender equality. When the mother asked where this was said, the girl replied, “in social studies”.

Referring to a quote from Abraham Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address, wherein the United States’ 16th President had said that “all men are created equal”, the girl asks her mother, “aren’t women created equal too? Why don’t they say all people are created equal?”

Sharing the video, Chadda wrote, ”Its a fwd on Whatsapp the young girl is so correct. Time to change the #sexist #terminology in our textbooks.”

Watch the powerful video here:

Why do we say things are #ManMade? Why not #PeopleMade #HumanMade

Its a fwd on #Whatsapp the young girl is so correct. Time to change the #sexist #terminology in our #textbooks @cbseindia29

RT and spread the word!@AamAadmiParty @BJP4India @INCIndia @msisodia @smritiirani pic.twitter.com/oGMSgwNja1

— Rohit Chadda (@_rohitchadda) January 27, 2021

Since being shared, the video is going viral on many social media platforms and netizens are applauding the little girl for questioning the patriarchal norms. If she can understand these skewed societal notions at such an tender age, why can’t adults?

More power to her!