Why Not Equality?

In the book "Sold" by Patricia McCormick, Lakshmi lives in a small hut in Nepal with her mother and step-father. One main issue in the book is sexism.

Lakshmi and other women are treated as much less in value, and they have to follow incredibly strict rules in life, compared to men. Women aren't even allowed to look at men from other families, much less interact with them. Ama tells Lakshmi all about how she must be modest, and bow to men. In the book, all the women do is cook and clean and work in the garden around the house, they really aren't allowed to, or have time to, do anything else because all responsibility is left unto them. Lakshmi talks about her step-father going out to the tea shop and gambling their money, because that's all men really have to do in Nepal. They get all the nice things with the money that the women work incredibly hard for. Men are valued as more, but really, they're worthless, and the women, who are valued as less, are really worth much more.

I think it's really horrible that women in Nepal are treated this way, especially because they do all of the work. I understand the religious parts about covering themselves with their shawls but everything past that with the bowing and even when they said that women can have whatever food is left after the man is done eating! If men really did a substantial amount of work then this wouldn't be as bad but still, they should be treated as equals, and at this point it looks like Ama and Lakshmi should have men bowing to them with all the work they do. Men in Nepal definitely don't want to change anything because life for them must be great, having to do no work and being treated as a superior. Women aren't given enough power or serious education for them to really take control over the country or to really be able to give women rights.

In America, this really doesn't happen and you never really see this happening because both genders are equal here. In the real world the people who are suffering because of this really should be respected and treated as equals because there are probably far more serious cases of female neglect around the world than just what's in the book. I think people that are seriously being mistreated as non equals should stand up for their rights, but I understand that if they did they could be hurt or abandoned by their husbands, which is even worse.