GENDER BIASED SOCIETY
I was often told by my
Mother that men and women are like two wheels of a motor bike and if one is
removed the vehicle won’t run at all. I grew up assuming that this notion is
true and that is how society should exist; both genders equally sharing the
responsibility and creating perfect harmony. Alas! I was mistaken; when I
became somewhat mature I looked around and could visibly see discrimination and
biased views prevailing in abundance. Surprisingly in India I found that Men
hold a visibly dominant position in the society whereas women are often looked
down upon. Why? I pondered and spent a few restless nights during the course of
my thoughts and analysis.
India, my country is
majorly a gender biased society granted an elevated status to men and women in
general remained at the bottom. At times I felt that discrimination meted out
to scheduled castes is less than what a woman faces in our society. Let us
start with the first episode; when a boy is born the entire family rejoices and
if a girl is born they same joy or happiness is rarely witnessed.
Exceptions exist but
they are unquantifiable; it reminds me of the barbaric tradition prevalent in
Arabian countries before the advent of Islam when they would bury alive their
daughters. Though India has not fallen to that lowest level but still the
balance is clearly in favor of men.
We then move on to the
next pivotal step in the evolutionary ladder; the male child requires education
so best possible effort is made to give him the ideal learning institutions,
for families think about their own future.
They feel that their ‘boy’ needs the best for
he will soon be a ‘bread earner’ for us where as why do we need to educate the
‘girl’. She needs no education for her future is confined to making food,
cleaning the house and in the near future bear children for her husband so the
first ‘compromise’ is made. The female is deprived of her right to education on
these flimsy grounds.
We move on a little
further in time; the boys may play all sorts of sports or indulge in any
recreational activity for they are ‘men’ and have to face the world one day.
The women need no recreation and her leaving the house would symbolize dishonor
for the family. So in the end she simply remains under ‘house arrest’ till she
is married.
Ah! How can I forget
the most vital decision of her life; men are free to choose whomever they like
but the ‘girl’ must abide by her family’s wishes and marry the ‘suitor’ chosen
by her family. If she happens to dislike the person no one is bothered to the
least extent.
Thus she ends up in
most cases marrying individuals for whom she has no feelings or liking. After
marriage if she wishes to make decisions on important issues pertaining to her
matrimonial life or children; she is ‘justly’ stopped by her in-laws.
She cannot intervene or take major
decisions without the consent of ‘male’ members of the family. Thus the vicious
cycle never ends. For whatever she has learned and experienced; rips her apart
and she is not in a position to teach her female child anything else other than
the simple fact that we live in a ‘man’s world’.
I think it is terrible that women aren't worth as much as men, but I also have to accept the Indian culture the way it is. I just know that I can absolutely not imagine living like this! And I am very happy to see that you as a Indian man have your problems with it too!
ReplyDelete