A fact states that girls who mature early in life are more likely to be delinquent and emotionally aggressive later in life. Really? I personally feel that this is anti-feminist thought. Heights of misogyny… Isn’t it! Well, discrimination is in our DNA. Be it whatever form. In a sense, that every woman ranging of any age-group and strata of life is a prisoner of the very system which has spawned her. In the cut and thrust of male dominated mind-set, let us count societal born and borne so-called blessings (myth) showered upon women race, step by step.
#Case I: You have a beautiful face coupled with chiselled features or fair complexion and by God’s grace, you are thriving professionally too. Now, this is an ideal combination which will lead you to the unwanted never-ending trails of obnoxious comments including those challenging woman’s chastity. I know it’s a deep paradox but that’s how women folk have learned to live with it or to rephrase it “learned to ignore” nonsense. Is this not a radical blow to a woman’s self-esteem?
#Case II: Second milestone is when both spouses are working and maintain separate accounts. However, people explicitly refuse to accept the fact point-blank that females are independent and spend their riches over self-desires and gizmos. Conventionally, women are by default assumed to be negotiating before men for their routine monetary needs. I had encountered one such incident in office wherein a senior colleague alleged that all our salaries are savings. “We rely on husband’s salary for pocket money,” he added. It felt terrible. The very casual remark challenges your personal integrity, capabilities and confidence besides demeaning the efforts and sacrifices poured in to earn the level where a woman has reached. On the contrary, men’s stature never shrinks on economic front. And yet, by a remarkable quirk of fate, men are appreciated in their financial standing irrespective of their failures. What a zealous analysis!
#Case III: Worst of all is discrimination at workplace. By virtue of being a female, you are never judged basis on your talent or merit and thus encounter multiple unpleasant instances. Women are considered vulnerable and weaker sex worldwide as men tend to only count gender and not work-ex, competency and stuff regardless the scholarly disclaimers of *no gender bias* thrown by top-notch MNCs at the time of hiring. Field job seamlessly gels perfect for males and is, therefore, entrusted largely upon menfolk. I have been a journalist by qualification and profession (significant years of my career). My initial years of mainstream media industry journey wasn’t a smooth sail as I was expected to carry only human interest stories during my association under a big international media house until I moved on to my next venture where I was fortunately entrusted with the opportunity to cover hard news ranging from Delhi blast, Delhi Assembly elections and a splendid responsibility of interviewing women celebrities from various walks of life. Barring few such cases, female employees are overall given not-so prominent profile(s) and subsequently rated low as compared to self-proclaimed superior race. And this is the case pertinent not only in India but is a global scenario. Prism me if it’s a lie!
Conclusion: There is no end to bullies and austerities towards women in society. “Illusion is the first of all pleasures – Voltaire.” Apparently, this food of thought corroborates to the subject and hence would take no time to burst the bubble of recent quasi-womanhood celebrations in vogue coupled with liberalism, globalization, women empowerment, et al for the limited show-off pockets of the society. What do these high-sounding fancy words really mean in practice? Nothing! We may genuinely want to change the well-entrenched grave mind-sets of pseudo-womanhood, but in a country as old as India, as ossified and as crowded with mountain male egos, sexism, hypocrisy, an ingrained old guard and byzantine intrigue, no quick fixes are possible. The truth is we have miserably failed to build a world of substance and respect for women.