Are Women In India Independent And Free?

We keep harping on about how India is progressing, how we are becoming a more acceptable society where girls are at par with their male counterparts in anything they do. But are we really free?

The recent Gauhar Khan incident where the actress was slapped by a man who proclaimed that she shouldn’t be wearing a skirt cause she’s a woman and that too a Muslim woman says anything but!

Todays’ India proclaims that women are at par with men in anythingthey do – whether its study, work or even run households, sometimes making even more than the men in the family.

We educate our girls, we teach them to be self sufficient and independent. We tell them that they’re free to soar, free to dream, free to live. But, are we really free?

What does the word “Freedom”mean to us or for that matter even the word “Independence?”Do young college going girls feel free and safe going to and from college everyday?

Freedom is a state of mind or a state of expression – to be able to do what you want – free to wear what you want, think how you want and be how you want! And, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, we’d like to ask you that question - Are women or girls in our country really free? Are they safe? Do they have the freedom of expression?

We keep talking about how India has progressed, how women’s liberation is growing in India but are the women in this country actually liberated?

It’s become a trend in some sense over the past few years, especially with regard to thenews being reported across our country. Most media outlets; whether its the newspapers, print media or even for that matter the electronic media; everyone’s been reporting a similar kind of storyline– rape, eve teasing, discrimination, molestation, acid attacks, dowry deaths, female infanticide; basically all possible forms of varying degrees of harassment and injustice toward women.

While we get ourselves educated, pursue our dreams and goals, travel the world and reach the moon and make strides in business, politics, sports and the art, back in our cities, on our streets, we still remain vulnerable and unsafe. Some of us are allowed to make our own choices – be it the careers we choose, the boys we’re allowed to date, or the colleges we choose to attend far away from our parents’ homes. We may be learning to be independent, but are we truly free?

We’ve all had arguments with our parents on unreasonable deadlines; the fear of being out after a certain time is there for most of us irrespective of the city we live in.

We’ve all faced questions on who our friends are – what is their background. But have we ever questioned why in a free country like India we need to live with a deadline.

Why are we as women not allowed to go pub hopping if we want to, wear what we want to? Why are girls who like dancing, music and going to pubs considered to be bad, loose and forward. Don’t we have the right / freedom to live how we want ? Aren’t we also entitled to a “Free India after 67 years of Independence?”

Basic tasks such as stepping out of the house, going to college and even hanging out at public places are now safety concerns especially for girls.

Roads, markets, public places, buses, malls, trains and metros - any place can turn into a potential danger zone for girls in any places in India. In every college and city, women have to deal with roving eyes, lewd comments and even the groping hands of men.

Probably every college going girl in India today can tell you of at least one case where she’s been teased - even if it’s with a supposedly simple line such as “hey sexy” or “hey beautiful.”

A number of college going girls across the country say that they don’t feel safe going out even in the day forget the night considering the rise in eve teasing, rape and molestation cases. Most basic incidents of eve teasing or molestation and even heinous crimes such as rape don’t even get reported for fear of the repercussions.

Then there are campuses and places across the country where the authorities have imposed dress codes, rules or diktats on what “girls” can and cannot do, what they can and cannot wear and how they must behave to maintain decorum.

Till recently a famous University didn’t even allow women into it’s main library!

Rules such as women can only get out in salwar kameez, women can’t wear jeans, they can’t wear short skirts, shorts are not allowed in college etc have been imposed, thinking it will deter the anti social elements. Unlikely right? Just like freedom is a state of mind so is being crass, rude, anti social and even perverted. You can’t change a person’s frame of mind by imposing rules and hoping it will deter them!

Recently there have even been reports of how educational institutions are employing bouncers to sanitize campuses and even schools to make them safer and protect women from rowdy elements. But, is that enough?

A while back there was a case where a girl was arrested for writing comments on a political leader’s death. What happened to one of our basic constitutional rights in that case – The right to the freedom of expression? Do we really need to check and think about any comments we make on social media in this highly digital age? Are we not entitled to being independent thinkers, simply allowed to express ourselves? When did freedom come with a list of terms and conditions?

While people have started standing up against some of these issues – non-violent protests such as the Pink chaddi campaign, a few years back and even the extremely large country wide agitation against the Delhi gang rape case, Jessica Lall and PriyadarshiniMattoo cases have shown that we do stand up and protest, but its not enough as yet to remove this prejudice from our society – prejudice that has taken years to build. Even our justice system fails us in that regard; with convicted murderers of the PriyadarshiniMattoo and Jessica Lall cases being allowed to go on parole due to “family and personal issues,” or under the false impression that these people who’ve committed crimes under full consciousness are going to eventually reform. Do we fail safe being on the streets with such people let loose?

The preamble to the Constitution of the Republic of India states that

“WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:

JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY, of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;
and to promote among them all

FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation.”

On this International Women’s Day we should all (men and women), take a pledge to adhere to these principles especially when it comes to EQUALITY.

More importantly RESPECT THE WOMEN and GIRLS in your life, whatever age they are – Remember the mother who gave birth to you is also a woman!

Article Courtesy College Ok Please