GENDER BIASED INDIAN SOCIETY

GENDER BIASED INDIAN SOCIETY

India suffers from Gender bias on a large scale; I am an Indian and a proud one too but my pride cannot conceal or overlook the weaknesses of my own society. It is true that 50 years ago in India the bias was greater than even today and we have been successful or lucky in perhaps reducing the levels to some extent but the ‘flaws’ still exist. We can close our eyes but that won’t make the truth fade away!

There are two dimensions of this ugly phenomenon; one involves the domestic life and the other revolves around the professional life. Interestingly when it comes to India the society is gender biased in favor of men within both dimensions. Let me take you on a ‘joy ride’ in the first arena initially; the domestic life. Indian men are allowed the ‘freedom’ to make decisions on all minor or major issues of daily life. 

From children’s choice of education, career or even clothes; the consent of the male is essential. If the women of the house want to go for shopping or visit their own parent’s home or even drop in at a ‘friend’s house; it is a must that prior permission is sought from the male head or dominant male figure in the household. 

The trivial matters or significant issues both require due male consent and approval before decisions are made. The way society thinks and addresses these acts are more peculiar than one could imagine. If a male stays out till later he is allowed since he is a man but if a woman let her be his sister or wife than she is ‘immoral’ and ‘indecent’. The Indian society is ready to provide justifications for all ‘male actions’ and quick to malign the ‘female’s conduct’. What a blessed way to conduct ‘affairs’ in my society.

This ugly phenomenon does not merely end up with the domestic issues. If luckily a woman is able to enter professional life and earn her livelihood than again the balance is tilted in the favor of men. Sexual harassment is often meted out to her if she happens to be good looking or well dressed or even simply friendly to her male colleagues. 

A quick judgment is bestowed upon her as ‘easy’ or ‘she must have done something to elicit such a conduct by the male co-worker or boss. Even if such cases manage to be reported the management of companies run majorly by men tends to favor their own gender and ignore the pleas of their female counterpart. Even if she does not face any harassment, there are other issues in plentiful to make her professional life miserable as well. If times come for promotions; the male counterparts are always favored for men believe that taking orders or working under a woman is beyond their so called ‘honor’. 

When she returns to her home after a late shift or working extra hours the ‘glances’ from neighbors and even family members suggest that her conduct is dubious. Her morality is questioned and she stands no longer as ‘pious’. On the contrary if a man is coming late we all would hear the same people whom I would call ‘observers’ chanting ‘oh what a hard working devoted man’. 

Gender biased society

Our society is plagued by this gender bias and the only way to get rid of this pestilence is by denouncing these ‘double standards’ and striving to change the mindset of our society with respect to women both in domestic as well as professional chapters of our lives.