Much has been spoken about equality in society where men and women are given equal importance, then too crime against women are increasing at an alarming rate. A lot has been written & spoken on who is responsible for these crimes – The man perpetrating the crime? Inadequate law enforcement? Societal attitude of looking at women? Cultural upbringing? This is not an intellectual argument that has to be ‘won’ by the TV anchors and press reporters. Unfortunately, whoever you feel is responsible does not matter for it is ultimately women who have to bear the brunt of it.
‘Man for the field, Woman for the hearth’
‘Woman – an object to use, abuse and misuse as per Man’s will’
All these quotes have been ringing in my ears constantly over the last few days as the outrage on crimes against women continues unabated, without any respite in sight.
Don’t get me wrong – there is no doubt in my mind that the laws need to made stricter, enforcement better, more awareness needs to be spread, better social values need to be instilled on these matters etc. However, it is far more important for the woman to stand up for her rights in a male- dominated society that views her conveniently as a Goddess when it wants to and as a ‘object of desire’ in other times. On behalf of all my fellow women of India, I am proud to assert that we do not want society to worship us or give us special privileges. All we ask for is the right to exercise our rights as equal beings. The Constitution does not differentiate between the right of freedom to move between a man and a woman – then why should a woman not go out at night like her brother, father or husband? Man does not have to think ten times about ‘inciting undesirable emotions’ in the minds’ of women based on his dressing sense – then why should a woman have to think about it? Is a woman less equal just because she is a woman?
What saddens me even more is that we are a country that respects Devis – Adi Shakti, Durga, Parvati, Lakshmi, Saraswati. We are a country that has witnessed a woman Prime Minister, a woman President, several women Chief Ministers, businesswomen &police chiefs. We are a country that has created special privileges for the girl child in primary education, employment, health and social security. We are also one of the few nations in the world, where women enter the armed forces, standing should-to-shoulder with men, accepting and getting no concessions at all, whether it is in clothing, physical activity or mental strain. This entry was facilitated due to the hard-work and unwavering focus of the then Defence Minster, Hon. Sharad Pawar, since he firmly believed ‘whatever a man can do, a woman can do better’.
Alas, despite all this, we are still way behind in changing the psyche in terms of gender equality and sensitivity. It is pointless to expect men to change their thinking overnight – this change will happen & is already happening at a rapid pace. However, the biggest shift has to take place in the minds of women. They are not alone, they are not helpless – it is only their thinking which makes them so. I often discuss this topic with my mother and my 12-year old daughter – though these ladies are 2 generations apart, I am amazed by the boldness in their thoughts and the candidness with which they approach the issue of women empowerment. My mother is more thoughtful and mature in her response, whereas my school going daughter always encourages me and pushes me through various examples through which she demonstrates that she is equal in all ways to her brother and to all the boys in her school.
In conclusion, I quote from the greatest man that our nation has ever produced, the Mahatma, who once said, ‘Be the change you want to see’. My sisters of India, lets join hands and become independent, equal and free in our minds – only then will the rest of the society accept us as such.
