Empowerment of women is among the most abused and misrepresented words in the world. It seems to me that through last 700 years of Indian history the term “women empowerment” was consciously created, over a period of time by powerful social invaders who first brutally abused women as a tool for enslaving our socio-cultural landscape and then created a myth that women were weaker thus legitimising a thought that women were incapable and unworthy of a decision making leadership role in personal and professional lives. This was the time when myths like impurity of women were also crafted because of mensuration cycles.
During the British regime, the concept of weak Indian women was further strengthened as women were continuously pushed behind the veiled corridors of home that turned from being a civilisational cradle to a glorified prison for Indian women.
What should have stopped post 1947 in the promised free India, tragically continued unabated transforming into a monstrosity of abuse in the form of eve teasing, horrific rapes, gender bias and dowry deaths. That was not all, the new free India also adopted and strengthened an environment that was resentful towards providing equal educational and commercial opportunities for women.
In a country that burst at the horizon of the new world as a beacon of hope, growth and freedom, did nothing significant to mend the travesties of past 700 years of persecution of women. While women struggled all through in the new India, crimes against women continued unabated and so did grotesque acts of foeticide along with lack of equal opportunities.
The story of India’s liberalisation continued with hiccups in absence of its fair share in the ultimate seat of democracy – the parliament of India.
The very nation that swears by and kneels before the power of Shakti has been unwilling to share the power and opportunity with what comprises nearly half of the population of the country. We continue to have the lowest women representation in the Parliament.
That is the very source of the greatest discrimination against nearly 63 crore women in India. Various recent economic surveys and reports are far from inspiring for Indian women. About 60 per cent of women in India in the productive age bracket of 15-59 years are still engaged in full-time housework.
In 2019, as per World Bank, India’s female labour force participation rate is an abysmal 23.4 per cent. We are far below countries that we like to believe are poor in comparison to India. Bhutan is at 58%, Nepal is at 81 %, China is at 60%.
Even countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar and Srilanka are higher than India at 36%, 47% and 34% respectively. All this does not augur well for a nation chasing its $5-trillion-economy goal.
All-encompassing growth and gender parity are paramount for any economy to realise its full potential. With India striving to become a $ 5 trillion economy by 2025, it cannot afford to leave half of its productive workforce behind and therefore, it is time that 33% of the promised seats in Indian Parliament should be reserved to represent 63 crore wheels of Indian economy - the women of India.
This cannot happen in absence of a major policy shift and sometimes a major policy shift needs multiple catalysts. Education is the source of all that is good and progressive. Small initiatives in education sector could galvanise this shift. Government already has made education in government institutions almost free for girls but what the government is unable to do is to mobilise families to usher girls on the path of ultimate enlightenment.
Can we not make it mandatory for all government servants, PSU and people with an income of over Rs 3 lakh a year to ensure college education to girls? Can we not make it mandatory for village Sarpanchs and MLA’s to ensure 100% literacy and college education to girls within their designated geographies? In order for the system to work, this initiative must become a part of their public performance appraisal. Strengthening of legal framework is also a necessity to create a progressive ecosystem for women. Digital India is the new mantra that is transforming lives.
Can the Government not create a comprehensive national digital legal support system to safeguard women? Women’s education needs a makeover given various economic reports suggest that there are insignificant jobs for moderately educated women in India.
Whereas, lesser educated women in India may still have a better chance and that yet is another dangerous trend leading to menial jobs child labour included. Lack of hardwired focus has led to insignificant participation of women in white-collar, lower, mid-level and retail sales.
Economic push is already the need of the hour especially with the sudden brakes on a fast moving Indian economy due to Covid-19. While the government has been proactively soliciting global investments into India – why can the government not make it compulsory for even private sector, especially, the manufacturing sector to reserve a reasonable employment for women?Urban India has begun to see a growth in women representation in economic activities.
Indian media and entertainment, hospitality, aviation and IT Industry is a shining example of continued growth of women participation. Schools, colleges and professional education are also witnessing a growth in women participation.
Professional medical education is an example of this continued growth. Recently, the Government introduced reservation for admission to ‘only girl child’ in medical education including others, providing a sigh of relief.
However, this is more of an apology than opportunity to half of India.
Even the latest education policy announced has no articulated mention of women, once again, reflecting the disappointing bias of our male dominion. While the policy makers dabble in their own reservations to deny our fair share, let the women not forget that this is the same country what once was called Streedesh – the country of women. We ourselves also must be the change that we wish to see.
Let us not forget that it was an Indian women who created world’s first co-operative bank, the first commando force, the first counter intelligence system, world’s first paid army, the first para athlete, the waterways system, the parliamentary form of Government too was first created by the women of India, more specifically the women of Kashmir and I happen to be a scion of the same spirited legacy.
Let the world know that the finest military commanders in the world were women and dreaded warlords like Mahmoud Gazni the destroyer of iconic Somnath temple was also first defeated twice by a woman ruler.
Indian kings enjoyed their kingdoms full of prosperity during the peak of India’s reign as the proverbial “Soney Ki Chidiya” solely because Didda, the brave queen of Kashmir was guarding the northern frontiers of undivided India for 44 long years. Incidentally she was the longest serving queen in the medieval world.
It is a travesty that the male dominion argues in favour of repressive regime of over 700 years in the name of protection – to them I say we are sorry for them because women of India were persecuted for the inability of proclaimed male dominions inability to safeguard women and the country.
While the new Modi government appears to be adopting progressive policies towards welfare of women, I hope that it does remember that there are 63 crore women of this country who are hopeful for an opportunity to propel Indian economy into achieving the $ 5 trillion dream.
Until that happens, I say to all the women in the world, don’t wait, come forward and restore the Stree back into our desh for India to be the greatest country in the world.
(The writer is a media veteran and bestselling author. Views expressed are personal)
