Boys will be boys

Teen Times/Carolan O'Higgins: Recently I was left at home with my five brothers while my parents went away for the weekend. My mother is a domestic goddess who stays at home while my father goes out to work.

My brothers have been used to having someone at home to cook their dinner, to make sure the dirty plates are in the dishwasher and generally to clean up after their mess.

Four of my brothers are older than me, so I wasn't surprised when they started bossing me around. But one night as I was leaving to go babysitting I asked my younger brother to do the dishwasher while I was out. Coming home to find not only that the dishwasher wasn't done but also that the living room was a tip made me fully appreciate what my mother does.

I know the reason I was bossed around is that I was the only female in the house. I'm not sure whether it was because my brothers are slobs that they wouldn't clean up after themselves, or maybe they just figured I'd do the housework because I was a girl.

I go to an all-girls' school where we are taught to respect others, our environment and ourselves. Fourth-year students undergo a module of women studies where we learn what women have gone through to get to the position we have in society today. We learn about how women in other parts of the world are far less fortunate. When I look at how far we've come on the road to equality, I smile, but when I think about how far we have still left to go, I shudder.

It's great that we are being educated about the plight of women, but I wish that they would consider teaching boys the same thing; I have yet to hear of a boys' school teaching about how important equality is in the world. I believe that this lack of education leads to men treating women not as their equals but as their personal dishwashers.

International Women's Day is a great chance for men, boys, fathers and brothers alike to be made aware of the plight of women and also to be educated about the fairer sex. I'd like to think that International Women's Day will open my brothers' eyes to the importance of equality but somehow, I doubt it. Maybe, if we're lucky, the next generation will see that there is no sense in sexism.

International Women's Day is important to me because it brings together women from every ethnic background, and inspires them to achieve their full potential. The day is a celebration of women's achievements, in society, in politics and in culture. It's a day to celebrate the empowerment of women around the globe. It's a day when the men in our lives should become better acquainted with the appliances in the kitchen.

Carolan O'Higgins (15) is in fourth year at Loreto Abbey, Dalkey, Co Dublin

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