“Save the daughter, teach the daughter.” Have we really progressed
and succeeded in translating these words into actions; ASIFA of Kathua
Questions to all of us?
J&K being a zone of disputed territory between India and Pakistan from
decades, resulted violence related cases and sufferings against women
by the hands of security forces as well as militants. Women in
Kashmir are struggling hard against inequalities, discriminations,
justice and rights amid tough and challenging environment. The rates
of widows are alarmingly at increase due to continuous killings and
counter killings in the troubled state of Jammu and Kashmir. Several
movements against women atrocities and violence raised by feminist
organizations in the state are enough to understand the plight of the
problem at ground. The latest sex scandal surfaced in south Kashmir
depicts the criminal tendencies and psychology of people involved to
tarnish the image of women. She lives in a great fear, uncertainty and
chaos in such a state, were accused of Asifa of Kathua, gang rappers
and killers are still enjoy impunity and roaming without fear. We have
left no stone unturned to project the image of women living in Kashmir
as empowering and in a transitional phase, but it is all in papers
only.
The latest survey report of Kashmir based trust Tehreek-e-fahalluh
Muslimeen shocked everyone in the state told that 10,000 girls have
crossed marriageable age in Srinagar alone, due to different reasons.
To add here, major reason is the hostile atmosphere and prevailing
situations responsible for all this frenzy mess against our women
folk. She is the architect of our future generation and is an
important component of social management. It is she who gives birth to
all the prophets, scientists, engineers, Political thinkers, leaders,
philosophers and other great personalities but the graph of crime is
rising at an alarming level against her.
The Media in charge of JK united youth federation Miss Sabahat Khan
from Srinagar told that, “ the slogan of international conferences,
summits, voluntary organizations, non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) is directly related to issues of injustice with women as the
central theme to act. Despite all of these efforts, the atrocities
like dowry deaths, sexual harassment, female feticide, molestation,
rape, women trafficking, domestic violence etc is coming into surface
increasingly from each and every corner of India.”
The shocking statistics of sex-ratio in the state of Jammu and
Kashmir: 883 per 1000 boys are below the national average of 914 per
1000 boys and out of world’s one billion illiterates, 2/3 is women. A
study has revealed that 57% of boys were breast fed as compared to 30%
of girls. The stereotype mindset of people that boys are assets, while
girls are considered as an additional burden on the parents as they
have to spend massive money on their marriage and dowry. Women as
individual and as a group are among the most discriminated sections of
world population. Today’s women are kept away from the position of
power and decision making.
The economic dependence of women makes them subjugated and vulnerable
to emotional and psychological violence. The society should change its
negative mindset towards business women. Men should leave bias and
strengthen women entrepreneurs and help them to be the job providers
and not the job seekers. The entire edifice of social movements in
India, which wanted to change the status of women, has been raised on
the principle of equality.
Societies across the globe have shown preferences for boy child and
have gone to the extent of killing girl child in the womb itself. A
woman does 3/5th of world’s work but earns only 1/10th of world’s
income and owns only 1/10th of world’s assets.
The religion, polity and society are so organized historically as to
make her position vulnerable in the society. Women being treated as
the second sex in material terms and is quite often denied political,
economic and cultural rights.
Changing conditions of women and their status constituted the core of
the social reform movements in the early decade of nineteenth century;
however, by the early decade of the twentieth century this core is
enlarged by bringing two issues: equality of women in modern
political, social and cultural realm and women’s role in the
development process, into its ambit. The year 1975 was declared as the
world women’s year by the United Nations. The women’s decade, 1975-85,
witnessed women related activism by feminist groups as well as
political parties. Contemporary position of women in our society is
that she had obstacle in the way of approaching banks for financial
assistance. Women are asset less and they cannot keep anything as
mortgage against any sanctioned loans. Islam has provided women more
rights than men but it is unfortunate that till date Women have never
enjoyed her Life under the shade of Security and always discriminated.
Syed Karar Hashmi
Social Activist and Political Commentator from Central Kashmir Ganderbal
Author can be contacted on: kararhashmi5@gmail.com