While India celebrates Aazadi's Amrit Mohotsav, are Indian women Aazad? writes Alfiya Atif
Written by Alfiya Atif
When we all speak of our country’s independence we all be very proud of it and so do we celebrate it but have we ever spoken about a women’s independence or how her life should be celebrated well I might take your answer as a no.
Every society has a very different perspective on their women but for now let’s look upon our very dear Indian society on how they look onto our women and how they treat them. Living in this contemporary India a few of us must’ve witnessed the so called caste and religious conflicts and also heard where a group of boys from one caste rape a women or girl from another caste. The main point is that in our society the sexuality of women is just linked with honor. An example to this point is that women don’t really fight back most of the times either due to weakness or maybe they have a fear of the so called honor of their family. Women or a girl is always expected to be soft spoken, calm, and quiet. Women are traditionally discriminated against and excluded from political and family related decisions. Despite the large amount of work women must do on a daily basis to support their families, their opinions are rarely acknowledged and their rights are limited From the time they are born, young Indian girls are the victims of discrimination. According to a 2005 report from the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the infant mortality rate among girls is 61% higher than that for boys. This gender inequality is also present in education; only 2/3 of girls between the ages of 6 and 17 are sent to school, compared to 3/4 of boys of the same age. Also, in the countryside, only 46% of women are literate, which is almost one-half the literary rate for men.
Instead of going to school, girls often find themselves forced to work in order to help their families, often from a very young age. Even more worrisome, 25% of women marry before the age of 15 and very often, they marry against their will. This has profound consequences, notably on women’s health and their precarious situation often prevents them from receiving proper health care. For many Indian women, poor treatment, violence and exploitation take place on daily basis.
Through recent times, self-consciousness and Education among women elevated their development and progress, empowering them and assuring them to pay the path of success in various fields.
But like we say time is the greatest healer we can use that same quote on our women’s development today!! I am so happy while I see and read about the sectors where women have a major role to play like I have to elaborate with the help of examples
Women have been serving India admirably as doctors and nurses. Lady Doctors have been found to perform efficient surgery by virtue of their soft and accurate fingers. They have monopolized as nurses in the hospitals and nursing homes. Very few men have been able to compete with them in this sphere because the women have natural tendency to serve and clean.
Women’s contributions in politics a in the field of social service Indian women have also done some excellent jobs. They have not only served the cause of the suffering humanity but have also brought highest laurels for the country and social services have also been quite significant.
Women can, more easily than men, carry on propaganda against hazards of unhygienic conditions under which the villagers live. In urban areas they can efficiently take up the task of visiting and teaching the orphans and the helpless widows in the orphanages and the widow welfare centers. They can train them in sewing, knitting, embroidery and nursing in which women by nature excel. They can also train them in the art of music and dancing.
There is no denying the fact that women in India have made a considerable progress in the last fifty years but yet they have to struggle against many handicaps and social evils in the male dominated society. The Hindu Code Bill has given the daughter and the son equal share of the property. The Marriage Act no longer regards woman as the property of man. Marriage is now considered to be a personal affair and if a partner feels dissatisfied she or he has the right of divorce. But passing of law is one thing and its absorption in the collective thinking of society is quite a different matter. In order to prove themselves equal to the dignity and status given to them in the Indian Constitution they have to shake off the shackles of slavery and superstitions. They should help the government and the society in eradicating the evils of dowry, illiteracy and ignorance among the eves. The dowry problem has assumed a dangerous form in this country. The parents of the girls have to pay thousands and lacs to the bridegrooms and their greedy fathers and mothers. If promised articles are not given by the parents of brides, the cruel and greedy members of the bridegrooms’ family take recourse to afflicting tortures on the married women. Some women are murdered in such cases. The dowry deaths are really heinous and barbarous crimes committed by the cruel and inhumane persons. The young girls should be bold enough in not marrying the boys who demand dowry through their parents. The boys should also refuse to marry if their parents demand dowry. But unfortunately the number of such bold and conscientious boys is very few. Even the doctors, engineers, teachers and the administrative officers do not hesitate in allowing themselves to be sold to the wealthy fathers of shy and timid girls. Such persons have really brought disgrace to their cadres in particular and society in general. The government should enact stringent laws to afflict rigorous punishment on dowry seekers, women’s murderers and rapers.
Finally I would like to conclude with a quote:
To be a woman you must think like a man, act like a lady, look like a young girl, and work like a Horse
Respect a woman because she strongly survived and has overcome all the things that were once meant to destroy her.
The Author – Alfiya Atif is a senior school student at Ekya School, who likes traveling, learning languages of different geographies, socializing and a lot more things.
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