India celebrated yet another International Women’s Day this month with great enthusiasm, and talked about the achievements of women in our country. Like a structured repeated event, much was discussed on how we can do more to empower our women, make India a women-friendly nation, and our successes towards women empowerment. Nothing short of rhetoric and situational lip service, the plight of women in the “modern India” continues to be paradoxical.
A set of women in India travels in space, another rules the judiciary, but the largest section succumbs to familial obligation that expects her not to dream, not to think, not to work, not to build her own identity, and expects her to follow the age-old tactic of holding herself in a glass box. Even after proving repeatedly that women in India have created history, the society fails to give them the space they need, and rather, forces them to accept a scripted fate.
The conclusion of a few studies carried out lately has left me jittery about whether the discourse around development and empowerment of women, is just temporary furore. According to a study conducted by a think tank on “What do Women and Girls Want From Urban Mobility Systems,” it was reported that only 9% of the women, feel that India’s public transport is safe for them. Of the women surveyed, 77% said the last mile connectivity in Indian cities needs abject improvement. This report clearly indicates that India, as a nation, is failing to make its women safe even in the 21st century, forget other areas of development.
Where Do Women Stand In Politics?
Now let’s go on to see a few more reports and analyses on where Indian women stand socially after 70 years of independence. The number of women MPs in Kerala (the state with the highest literacy rate) is ironically abysmal. The state has the largest self-help group which aims at ending poverty, and is an equal driver of growth in the critical education and health sectors. Yet, when it comes to political representation, women are way behind in the margins. They are nowhere on the top hierarchies of the state’s major political parties, have little or no decision-making power at critical junctures, and are mostly handed tickets from constituencies where they have slender chances of winning. In short, their role in the state and national politics has been abysmal and this has been the case since past many years. Does this not give us an impression that despite leading the country as a Prime Minister, women are still not given due recognition in Indian politics?
The Irony!
The 108th Constitution Amendment Bill, 2008, commonly known as the Women’s Reservation Bill, seeking to reserve one-third of all seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies, was lapsed by the Parliament.
On one hand, we see a woman, Nirmala Sithraman, taking charge of the defense and creating history by becoming the first full-time woman defense minister of the country, and on the other hand, we still dream to see our women in combat roles. Isn’t that the biggest irony? It is true that the military till date is the most male-dominated profession. However, it is also to be noted that several countries, such as the US, New Zealand, Germany and, Israel, have already allowed the women of their country to take up combat roles. So, where does India stand comparatively? The answer is nowhere close.
Recently, Army Chief, Gen Bipin Rawat, issued a statement that “The Indian Army is not yet ready to have women in combat roles”. Whatsoever be the intention, the reality is that Rawat spoke the bitter truth. His statement speaks aloud the Indian mentality and how society looks at its women. He pointed out at our society’s incapability to free women of the patriarchal shackles. It is not the Army or Rawat, but our own misogyny (or inability to get rid of it), which is keeping women from getting into combat roles. It is the 21st century, and instead of providing our women with an enabling environment, facility, and training, we are still debating on what profession is best suited for women and which is not.
The #MeToo Movement
Currently, the #MeToo movement created a stir, gripping the entire country in its wave. It seemed that it would turn out to be the biggest feminist revolution India has ever witnessed, but it failed to stick to its purpose and soon lost its credibility. Here I do not intend to demean the movement, but the way it was carried out appeared trivial and mendacious to me. In a democracy like ours, nobody should be declared guilty because someone accused him or her. But #MeToo did that. The media-trial associated with the accusations derailed the purpose of the movement. The ripple effect of these accusations levelled against various men seemed like a propaganda in some cases, which operates on the principle that if you repeat something often enough it becomes true.
It made organisations and people fear women, but of course, not in the right way. There was a sense created across the country that women are using this as a weapon and it’s better to not employ them or engage in any kind of conversation with them, which is not only ridiculous but also a mockery of the #MeToo movement. Crime against women is a very serious subject and under no circumstances should it be taken frivolously. The better and equitable way out would have been engaging with both parties in the discussion and hearing all points of view. Of course, the ideal situation would have been no harassment in the first place.
India has walked a long way on the path of women empowerment, but the journey remains incomplete. A study suggests that India would take another 170 years to come on par with the United States. India lacks an enabling environment, a progressive mentality, acceptability towards women, only then the females would come into a position of making choices by themselves, for themselves. This entire situation can reverse only if a conducive environment is provided for all our efforts to turn into accomplishments. Don’t use women as mere political weapons. Let’s celebrate International Women’s Day only then when women feel empowered and are not looked down upon.