- It doesn’t need further elucidation or proof to claim unequivocally that Indian society is not only patriarchal, misogynistic, and heavily loaded against women in all walks of life, but also continues to pose existential challenges in the form of sexual assaults, harassment, and crimes perpetrated with impunity. Despite various stakeholders viz. the governments, civil society members, NGOs, concerned citizens, and even ordinary civilians making efforts to address, the continued violations of women’s liberty – both physically and mentally – are not tamed yet to make it feel comfortable for the other gender. Humanity may lay claim to being in the most advanced time courtesy of technical leapfrog witnessed in the last few decades. Or is it enough to make women feel safe?
PC: BBC
- Not at all. But the fact of the matter is women tend to be still viewed as second-class citizens where male supremacy pervades unchallenged. We have heard enough of unbiased gender, neutrality, equal opportunities, level-playing fields, safe working environments, and measures to ensure women’s bodily and mental faculties are not violated inappropriately. Unfortunately, the ground reality contrasts what the governments and others claim since the sexual assaults/crimes of varying degrees continue to be reported with alarming regularity laying bare the ground realities. The whole country must be feeling ashamed, embarrassed, and hanging heads in shame when a junior doctor in Kolkata’s govt hospital was found raped and murdered recently.
- So much for several laws enacted to ensure females are immune from sexual violations. What use are those laws if they fail to deter perverts from committing heinous sexual crimes against hapless women? The moot point to ponder over here is whether society has completely lost sensitivity, understanding, compassion, and a sense of equanimity to ensure women are protected, encouraged, and allowed to live the way they choose to be. The answer is a resounding yes. The sense of entitlement pervading the males resonates with the largely patriarchal society that still considers female progenies as a burden rather than equal partners. Unfortunately, Indian society known for its culture, tradition, and heritage has failed repeatedly to safeguard women.
PC: The Hans India
- Apart from stringent deterrence in the form of speedy trial, sentencing, and punishment for the perpetrators, there is an urgent need to ensure how we bring up male progenies by instilling in them the necessity to view females as equals at par with them. Preference for male progenies is a despicable truth that has been established too deeply in society failing to shrug off despite making tremendous advancements in various fields. Parents, schools, colleges, elders, celebrities, decision-makers, religious leaders, and every concerned member of society must make concerted efforts to instill gender parity/rights for both genders rather than overtly showing preference for males. We cannot allow our sisters and mothers to be treated like disposable entities anymore.
