Women oppression: a social evil

“When men are  oppressed,
It’s a tragedy.
When women are oppressed,
it’s a tradition”

–   Letty Pogrebin

According to the Global Gender Gap Index 2022, India ranks 135 out of 146 countries. This striking figure represents a gloomy picture of the ‘State of women’ in India.

Identity of Woman

Being a patriarchal society, it is natural that Indian women from the subservient part. A woman’s identity and existence is always considered  to be dependent on that of her  father or her husband. Every woman’s identity card bears the name of her father or her husband. But, you won’t find the name of the mother or the wife of a man on his identity card. What does this imply about the identity of women in our society?

Managing the household is not a job

Most women in our country are homemakers. They have the responsibility of managing the household, raising children and taking care of elders. They work tirelessly, without leave and are still stigmatized “unemployed” as unemployed. Just because homemaking is not bringing money, it is not respected as if it meant that a woman did nothing in her life.

Being a woman is the  ultimate insult

What’s the worst possible thing you can call a  woman? Think of all the words. Now, what is the worst thing you can call a man? You must have noticed that the worst thing you can call a girl is a girl and a boy is a girl . Being a woman is the  ultimate insult.

Sex selective abortions

A closer look at the data reveals that at least 117 million girls around the would demographically go “missing” due to sex selective abortions. This heart-wrenching data reveals that our  daughters are to be saved not from big monsters оr dangerous dragons but from their very own parents. What did these innocent infants do to deserve murder at the hands of their own parents even before they could see this beautiful Earth?

Female children аre often fed and are given less hearty meals that contain little to no butter,   milk or other hearty foods. This makes a girl child feel less worthy or inferior to boys.

Literacy rate of women

The literacy rate of women in India is 65.46% as compared to 82% of men .Parents prefer to spend their resources on  the education of boys  rather than spending equally on their sons and daughters as boys are considered the sole bread-earners. This old age stereotype has cost and continues to cost women their dreams and their ambitions of life.

Crime against women

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), there were over 3.00.000 reported incidents in 2015 concerned with violence against women. Urban areas  have become particularly unsafe for women. They are  not safe even within their own home from beating, harassments  and other forms of domestic violence. A sizable population is worried about hiding the bruises and tears from the world’s eye.

Another additive to the misery of women. is dowry. Instead of being regarded as a crime and source of shame it is considered a  matter of pride. Sons- in-law are often introduced with the price tag they come with.  In case the family is unable to fulfill the demands of the groom’s family, the bride is subjected to harassments and torture leading the woman to commit suicide. Many women are killed by being set on fire by her husbands or in-laws. If by any chance women get their dreams and ambition and work outside the boundaries of four walls, their efforts are demeaned by less salaries.

Gender pay gap in India

The gender pay gap in India is among the widest in the world, with women, on an average earning 21% of the income of men. Even for exactly the same work, women are paid less. The glass ceiling effect deprives the women from rising to the upper rungs of the corporate ladder, regardless of their qualifications, achievements and competence in their fields.

Conclusion

All these factors have consequences on various walks of life. The psychological and physical trauma a woman herself faces is indescribable. All these social evils against  women deprive them of their right to life and personal liberty. They live their lives oblivious to their own self worth. They accept  this subordinate position in the social order instead of fighting against injustice. Seeking equality for women seems a far cry when women are not aware about this equality and consider themselves inferior.

When we talk about equality, we do not say that men and women are identical and have no differences, it simply means those differences should not translate to different levels of access to benefits and opportunities in life.

Education has a great role to play in conditioning the minds towards the concept of gender equality. We need gender sensitized pedagogy for the subversion of these age-old gender roles. Instilling sensitivity towards the dignity of women, emphasizing development of moral and ethical stand towards the equality in children can bring a positive change in society. Encouraging the understanding of exploitation and discrimination among girls shall result in more confident women who further contribute to the formation of a gender-just society. Prohibitions, reservations and punitive measures can only be a temporary solution. Only a change in mindset, a shift in viewpoint of the genders can result in a progressive society. Punishment of culprits is only a small part of the justice for the victims of gender violence and discrimination. Without the rehabilitation and preservation of the self-worth and dignity of the victims, justice is incomplete.

Hence, only a collaborated and a multi-dimensional effort can help rein in the evil of gender discrimination. We need active participation at the level of family, community, provinces and nations to defeat the culture of women oppression.  Let us join hands for a gender-just society !

Author
Arijeeta Shrivastava