Women have come a long way, from being confined to the home to taking the lead in boardrooms. But there is a long road ahead before we achieve true gender equality
India as a civilisation has respected, adored and held women in devotion as goddess with equal reverence and faith as any other gods — be it Saraswati, the intellectual; laxmi, the wealth; or Kali, the fierce who could devour blood of the demon. Though domesticated, women have been equal participants in daily life. While the man was seen as the food gatherer, women managed the family well, raised their children, transpired cultural values and traditions. The sustenance of the traditional Indian joint family depended on them. But whenever circumstances have demanded, they have also taken the command of their life — be it their family, or governance or fighting their enemy.
Post-independence, India gave its women equal rights to vote unlike in the US, which took many years and also the UK, which gave women the right to vote after a long campaign by activists called ‘suffragates’ in 1918. Rajkumari Amrit Kaur became the first Health Minister of India; laxmi N Menon became the first lok Sabha speaker; and Vijaya laxmi Pandit was the Indian representative in the UN. These are just a few glaring examples of the many unsung women who contributed towards India’s freedom movement.
However, in the last two decades, women have got out of the domesticated mould and have asserted their own course of action. This has been possible due to an increase in awareness, education and the freedom to choose. They now have increased presence in different professional fields where they have been showing their excellence. This is indicative of the liberation of the women as they aspire to break the glass ceiling with competitive spirit. Women have made their presence felt everywhere — in the corporate world, as civil servants, doctors, scientists as well as in the military.
Remarkably, they have maintained a fine balance between their physical, mental and psychological being, while also catering to the demands of the family and the society. Finally, they have also taken up to sports, a domain dominated by men. They have excelled in their respective fields and brought laurels to the country. This has caught popular imagination. It is also a fact that whenever women have suffered, they have taken the challenge with conviction and courage and have succeeded.
Gender equality, as a concept, emerged in the West with the advent of industrilisation. But it is not just about equality it also means respecting each other and trusting each other’s abilities. Individual freedom or choices is not about what to eat, drink or dress or even compete for equality with men but it means to compete with the ‘self’ and evolve, prosper and excel in one’s chosen field.
Nevertheless, today, women’s security is a serious issue. It must be seen as a result of a new social experience and a pitfall of technology abuse with degrading human values and unregulated social media. But this is just a phase and will pass off with due recognition and societal acceptance of this emerging power. Indian cultural resistance and values have the capacity to withstand such social change, reaffirm and regain.
(The writer is a freelance commentator)