After 50 years of independent India, the country still portraits an image as if misogyny is at large in the country. Though the country constitution promotes equality in all forms, in many spheres of our life we see woman empowerment issues in progress. It is true that in some sector of our country misogyny exist and there is prejudice against women , but one has to think whether is it fair to generalize this idea for the whole country. The announcement of the budget this year again delivers special favors for the Indian woman. But is it not that this is the very example of inequality that is being portrayed nationwide. There was definitely a period when there were strong prejudices against the Indian woman but one has to consider that whether favorism for the female sex is right today.
Recently one of the greatest IT companies, if not “the greatest”, underwent a recruitment drive with a criteria that males are not allowed. Now here we are talking about a section of females who have got equal opportunity towards education and attained a graduation or post-graduation status just like their male counterparts have. Then how can this kind of favorism are allowed to take place when no other companies of the same type are recruiting on the basis of sex. Yes it would have been logical if there was a tendency of companies to hire only male employees. But nowadays it is very evident that the top private sectors are keen on hiring woman. It can be seen plainly in most IT companies’ recruitment drives. Its not that they hire more female than male, but they do it equally. So what is the need of such empowerment drives when this educated female section of the society is already getting equal opportunities. Sex discrimination is discrimination based on sex. Currently, discrimination because of sex is defined as adverse action against another person, which would not have occurred had the person been of another sex. Now does not the above stated example clearly show that in this case there is discrimination against male students?
Reservation for woman in buses and trains and other forms of public transport is another example we deal with everyday. Again it may be logical to have such reservations in rural areas, but why should it be there in urban areas. In rural areas where there is blind prejudices against woman but in urban area it is not the case anymore. The government is promoting reservations for woman in all forms but doesn’t it deny the idea of equality for woman in the first place. It can be seen clearly that men travel in more accidental prone crowded conditions in trains when the female compartments are quite empty. If the government is trying to promote an image that Indian women are equal in everyway then why does it make special reservation for women. It clearly is against the theme of powerful Indian women in the first place. In the rail budget there are provisions for free ticket for all undergraduate female students. But why should it be. If the parents are already keen on providing education for their female child, then they can happily pay for the fare of their child too. The sex of a new born child has nothing to do with the economic condition of the parents, but then why shouldn’t male students get the equal advantage when it comes to paying the fare. I think this kind of facility for woman goes a long way in promoting the idea that women are not equal to men in the first place. I mean how the society can treat woman equally when the government is trying to put them in a special privileged class.
Now the question comes that what will happen if a woman is not treated well in a general compartment. The judicial system will deal with it. This is a form of crime itself. The solution is not to create an invisible boundary between men and women and keep women separate. The solution is to deal with the problem by stepping up punishments for this kind of crime or to take preventive measures to stop such crime by increasing surveillance. If the government decides on an approach that woman be separated from men, then what is the progress. This will happen forever. Maybe the crime rate will be lower but it will definitely not mould one’s mind to treat woman equally.
Indian women are brave enough to fight prejudices that may occur to them. The law is already there to support any inequality against them. Women like Kiran Bedi, have proved that if a woman has the will to succeed nothing can come in the way. The late Indira Gandhi, showed that woman can take responsibility of the whole country in her hands if she can. Then in a country where such women have showed their bravery from time to time, why is it necessary to always project a pitiful image of woman.
8th March is celebrated as International Woman’s Day. “It is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women” — states a popular website. But if one sees the newspaper on the morning of this day, one gets a feeling the women needs to be empowered more. Women are still not empowered enough. I think if it is reflected that women today are equally equipped as men, and then it will be the right portrayal.
The motive this composition is to state two things. Firstly, there should be no discrimination on the basis of sex no matter it is against women or men. Secondly, the hypothesis of an invisible boundary wall between the sexes promoted in our country in public transport systems doesn’t help the women cause of liberation or equality. It does just the opposite. Sex segregation is not the answer to the problem. It’s just avoiding the problem.
