- Talks surrounding the empowerment of women in daily events of life never fail to create a buzz amongst the prolific proponents demanding parity, equality, neutrality, respect, and of course, prominence at par with the male counterparts. The world community is slowly gravitating to the view that no longer it can obfuscate or ignore persistent demands emanating from the formidable groups of women demanding due recognition, acknowledgment, and acceptance. Understandably, some of the nations are at the forefront in duly extending parity to both genders and some others, predictably, are yet to even accord basic acceptance despite tremendous advancements on the back of unimaginable technological revolution.
PC: Hans News Service
- Agreed, palpable change is happening but not on expected lines. It is interesting to comprehend how do the Indian women fare vis-à-vis their counterparts elsewhere in the way treatment is meted out to them on several matters of relevance? The answer would be a resounding sigh of helplessness, frustration, agony, and punctured hopes that never get fulfilled even though promises galore are offered perpetually by different stakeholders. Patriarchy, misogyny, prejudice, and preconceived notions continue to rule the roost as Indian women are subjected to unprecedented hardships even as the entire universe seriously considers treating both genders on an even keel.
- As the saying goes, the crux of the problem lies with the deeply entrenched belief systems that mostly relegate/restrict the roleplay of women to childbearing and household chores with hardly any major say in the running of the family. Thus, the unyielding male dominance sustains despite concerted efforts at strengthening the position of women in all walks of life. Unfortunately, there are a significant majority of people holding medieval perceptions about the way women should be treated in this age of unbelievable innovations. And some political leaders though elected equally by the women’s votes too tend to come out with inane and hardly fathomable gems of advice that goes against the modern-day narrative.
PC: Jessica Ashcroft
- One such expansive pronouncement was recently made by the Karnataka Health Minister while speaking on the sidelines of World Mental Health Day by placing the blame of weakening social ties at the doorstep of women. The learned minister has strangely apportioned the reason for supposedly weakened social ties owing to the decline of joint families and the rise of westernization, especially in the form of lots of modern women, deciding to stay single or unwilling to have children even if they get married. Now, it should be a women’s prerogative to decide whether she wishes to stay single or refuses to bear a child which cannot be forced upon her by any stretch of the imagination.
- Modern women have their own minds and unabashedly wish to express in whatever ways suitable to them. Expecting an anachronistic line of thinking to be followed by modern women is bound to result in stiff opposition and resistance. Enforcing incompatible views under the guise of tradition and culture is passe. Present-day women will choose to tread an independent path and the law of the land provides a legal shield to practice one as well. Thus, it is advisable for the society at large, and political and community leaders, in particular, to admit this fact and move on.
