Genuine women empowerment still remains a distant dream despite all the big talk. Not a day goes by without reports of rapes, sexual assaults and beastly domestic violence against women. Ironically, all this carnage goes on in a land that worships the feminine power – Shakti. Despite all efforts at bringing about social changes, patriarchy remains firmly entrenched, and is reflected in attitudes and rituals. Gender equality sounds like a lot of pretty talk, with little resonance in reality. The picture, however, is not all that gloomy if one looks at the growing number of women in the power pack, be it in politics, business, entertainment or the performing arts.
On International Women’s Day, India Writes (www.indiawrites.org) spoke to a few eminent women, who believe that there is still a long distance to go before there can be genuine cheer and celebration on this day dedicated to women. It’s time to introspect and look ahead…
“I can only judge the plight of women by the number of rapes that’s happening almost every day. What’s even more disturbing is the absence of severe punishment for the culprits. Merely imprisoning and denying them death penalty is not putting enough fear in the minds of those who have the same bent of mind.
The issue of juvenile offenders is also equally disturbing: he is old enough to commit rape and crime but the juvenile law finds the very perpetrator too young to award the right punishment that befits his crime. This needs a serious rethinking. Not every woman is in a position to own a car. A lot of women take the public transport and some who cannot afford it, walk, and become easy prey for lecherous men. Does it mean that a woman’s security is determined by her economic status? Even then, how many women who drive or hate being driven feel safe enough at night?
We take pride in women breaking the glass ceiling and making it to the top of the ladder in the corporate world. All that is great, but how many percentage of women are actually there? Women’s empowerment, to me, is still a far cry. On this day, the government and citizens at large need to reflect on the plight of women in this country.”
Kiran Segal, Odissi dancer and Padma Shri
“No matter how far we, as women, reach in our career, we still bow down in front of men. At home and at work, men are by and large in command. There could be a few exceptions but that is too marginal to matter enough.
(Even when I look at my own life, I realise all the more the need for empowerment. I am dedicating my life to a certain form of martial art (taekwondo), have given 35 years of my life, but even today, it makes me realise that I am still fighting for recognition. That I am the only woman in South Asia to be awarded black belt, sixth dan or degree, seems to matter so little even in the sports fraternity where women like me are a clear minority.)
We really need more women in sports such as taekwondo. We also need to physically empower ourselves to be able to defend ourselves.
The empowerment process, overall, is slow. Just for one day, if we could look at the world through the eye of a girl/lady/woman, it would make a lot of difference.”
Rachna Chaurasia Rajendran, Black Belt, Secretary, Taekwondo Association of India
(As told to Hoihnu Hauzel)
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- India Writes Network (www.indiawrites.org) is an emerging think tank and a media-publishing company focused on international affairs & the India Story. Centre for Global India Insights is the research arm of India Writes Network. To subscribe to India and the World, write to editor@indiawrites.org. A venture of TGII Media Private Limited, a leading media, publishing and consultancy company, IWN has carved a niche for balanced and exhaustive reporting and analysis of international affairs. Eminent personalities, politicians, diplomats, authors, strategy gurus and news-makers have contributed to India Writes Network, as also “India and the World,” a magazine focused on global affairs.
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