We have been celebrating International Women’s Day for so many years to celebrate women’s achievement in all spheres of lives such as social, economic, cultural, and political. And, this year is no exception with the theme ‘Each for Equal’. But, with all the news and incidents happening around the world can we say women have actually achieved anything? Rape, sexual harassment at workplace and in public places, glass ceiling, domestic violence, the wage gap, intrahousehold discrimination among men and women and so on are the things women have to go through every day, every hour or every second in their lives.
With each passing year, women have to prove themselves as being equal to men. The world is progressing with new technologies and innovations but it is not progressing in terms of attaining gender equality and gender justice. From Nirbhaya’s case to Army Chief General’s biased comment on female officers, our society is embodied with certain stereotypes and stigmas. Women are struggling hard to fight against these stereotypes, myths, and bias linked with them.
But, our society still questions their choices, goals, and passion. With every step, there are hurdles for women which disempower them and gives privilege to men. In the name of religious practices and taboos, women have been oppressed for a long time, and menstruation is one such example and one of the greatest factors in women’s suppression.
Women are also expected to be within four walls of the house and be dependent on the men as written in the Manusmriti. Girls children, young woman or old woman is not supposed to work independently even at her place of residence (5/150). Girls are supposed to be in the custody of their father when they are children, women must be under the custody of their husband when married and under the custody of her son as widows. In no circumstances is she allowed to assert herself independently. (5/151), With the outside world becoming more unsafe day by day, it has become more difficult for women to work outside, independently. Even with the world shining so much, women’s safety is still in a dark phase.
Have women really achieved anything? We need to ponder on it and definitely have to work towards gender equality and gender justice.