Page 23 - English Tehelka Issue 5 - March 15, 2018

CoverStory women’s day

Indian culture treats its women as Mother notion that men are ultimately superior to women on looking after their homes and families, a task that
Goddesses and assigns them roles pertaining to and have a right to regulate women’s lives. requires a lot of time and energy. It is also a fact that
domesticity on the premise of protecting and A contemporary reason for females being in case of a large number of women who are a part
respecting them. It has been conventionally believed undesired, whether in families as children or at of the workforce, their earnings are in the hands of
that women are the source of life and the givers of work places as employees, is the new-found security their husbands or families who collectively take all
care, thus must be restricted to the confines of the concerns that have arisen with increasing incidents financial decisions, thus rendering women finan-
home and the hearth to look after and nurture their of sexual attacks against girls and women. What cially subservient. Thus, most women in our country
families. On the other hand, men are believed to be is interesting is that while sexual assaults against are financially dependent on men and this leads to a
the heroes — the breadwinners and the protectors females are themselves a consequence of women chain reaction of subjugating women to inferiorities
of women. This belief is so widespread in our coun- being assigned secondary status and being treated in various areas.
try that it appears to have been passed on geneti- as objects rather than humans, such predatory Women have for generations been denied bod-
cally! Not only men but a large number of women assaults further add fuel to the fire of sex-based ily integrity. Even in the twenty-first century, the at-
themselves hold such beliefs that have resulted — discrimination, thus creating a sequence of recipro- tires of girls and women are often pre-approved by
after being combined with religious norms that are cal cause and effect. their families. From a young age, girls are discour-
often biased against women — in the entrenched aged from wearing the clothes that their families
Women Lack autonomy disapprove of. Women who choose to wear clothes
that are frowned upon by the societies they thrive in
despite making In India, girls and women have culturally been pro- are judged and labelled in the most insensitive and From very young ages
tected and taken care of by the males of their fami-
outrageous ways. Every time there is debate over
progress on various lies — fathers, brothers, husbands and sons. Even as sexual violence against women, someone or the we teach our little boys
other raises the point of women “asking for it” by
we claim to modernise as a people, significant life
fronts, we seldom decisions for females are often taken by their fami- wearing the wrong kind of clothes. This mindset and girls to take their
lies without giving much weight to what the daugh-
stems from the archaic and misogynist belief that
ter or the wife desires. Matters pertaining to the
women are primarily means of sexual gratification
change regressive education, professional choices and marriages of of men and of procreation. preordained places in
women are subjects of discussion in families across
Talking about procreation, most women in our
traditions passed on cultures that keep in mind the restrictions placed by country are denied reproductive control by their social structures rather
families, communities and societies at large. While
societies on women’s capabilities and freedoms. In
across generations that the case of males, even if such decisions are taken by it is believed across global cultures that it’s women’s than make choices for
duties to bear children, in India and similar patriar-
families they are based on what would be best suited
reduce females into to the male child’s happiness and progress and are chal societies it is believed that it’s a woman’s bound- themselves
taken keeping in mind his demands and desires.
en duty to produce male heirs for their families. The
decisions of a small minority of women who choose
Moreover, traditionally it is the father’s decision that
lesser beings than males is the last word, not the mother’s. to remain unmarried or of married women (or cou-
Another significant factor that must be discussed
ples) who choose to not have any children cause out-
here is the economic vulnerability of women. rage among even the most educated people. While — when girls are allowed to make their own choices
According to the India Development Report women who cross their pre-set early ‘marriage- and govern their lives themselves without caring
released by the World Bank in 2017, our country able age’ are pitied, most married women are under about what people will think; when instead of being
has one of the lowest female participation in the immense pressure to produce sons, failing which saved for dowry money is spent on the daughters’
workforce, ranking 120th among the 131 countries they are at the receiving end of a lot of social stigma. education and giving them happy, independent lives;
for which data was available. This is an offshoot of when boys and girls are taught that they are equally
the traditionally assigned primary role of women as time to Stand up and capable; when sons are given lessons on equality
homemakers. A large number of women do not opt and respect for girls; when children grow up to see
to participate in the workforce at all due to percep- change the StatuS quo their fathers and mothers as equals rather than the
tions that their priority is to look after the household former ruling over the latter.
while it is the men’s job to go out and earn a living. Whether consciously or not, from very young ages It is quite a complicated and daunt -
Even qualified women choose to give up their pro- we teach our little boys and girls to take their preor- ing process to challenge and change
fessions after matrimony and motherhood due to dained places in social structures rather than make traditional outlooks towards women but there is
the same notions. choices for themselves. This is exactly how gender no other choice than to stand up to such regressive,
Also, domestic work and child care are consid- prejudices get ingrained in mindsets and get passed misogynist and illogical norms and do away with
ered to be the responsibilities of women; husbands on across generations. Gender biases that have been them. For this, both men and women must share
and fathers seldom share these ‘feminine’ works. going on for centuries are accepted and assimilated responsibility so that when a daughter is born, it isn’t
This makes many women who choose to work take rather than questioned and done away with. hoped that it will be a son the next time.
up jobs that are beneath their qualifications and low Regressive attitudes towards girls and women
paying as long as they can take out the time to focus will change only when they are nipped in the bud letters@tehelka.com

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