The change will come by building a sense of self-respect and confidence in women to fight gender discrimination, says Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj Ji
Isn’t it ironical that on one hand, people worship goddesses, observe fasts during nine days of Navratris and invoke Laxmi during Diwali, while on the other, these very people indulge in barbaric acts of molesting girls and dishonouring women?
One wonders how we have become so deceitful? Well, a very simple answer to this lies in the terms — sexism and gender discrimination. Yes, it’s a shame because even after investing years in development and progress, society’s patriarchal attitude remains unchanged. Since centuries, the attitude that has prevailed in society is that a wife is the property of her husband and therefore, he can do anything with her, which he finds appropriate. As a result, over a millennia, more than one quarter of women in many countries have been subjected to physical abuse and a large number of them have gone through the pain of emotional and psychological torture. In order to control these atrocities and give women their basic right to live with dignity, a large number of women’s organisations have come up in the last 50 years or so.
As a result of their efforts, many countries have set up women’s commissions to legally help those who are suffering. There is no doubt that all this has definitely benefitted some women but one needs to ponder deeply whether this would solve the basic problem of gender discrimination and hence, crimes against women. Will greater and active participation of women in social, political, financial, administrative, legislative and other fields give us a peaceful society? Will awareness about their rights and teaching them self-defence techniques stop barbaric acts like rape and eve teasing?
I am sure each one of you while reading this would answering the negative. Rightly so, because deep down we all realise quite well that the real problem is rooted in the attitude and beliefs of people, who think it is justified to control women and their lives.
So how does one change this attitude and behaviour? We need to first eradicate the concept of ‘abla naari’ (helpless woman) because they have been looked upon as weak and powerless since centuries. We need to remember that things would not change by merely giving women authority and making them incharge of some department or corporation. The change will come by building in them a sense of self-respect and self-confidence and emancipating them.
So all the men out there, let’s make a resolve to make women ‘sabla’ (empowered). Now, it’s upto us whether we want a weak generation for the future or an empowered one. Think over it.