Do Women Deserve Special Attention ?

When I was a kid, whenever I traveled through APSRTC buses in Hyderabad, I always used to notice captions suggesting that “respecting women is our tradition” and wondered why women need separate attention and respect. But it took some time (rather years) for me to realize the rationale behind such privilege to the fairer sex.

These days, we see a lot of hullabaloo about women’s reservation bill, women empowerment, women welfare ministries etc...But do we see the difference in our society around us? Very minimal, if any!

Young gals are still facing eve teasing issue, working women are still facing harassment of some kind or other at work-places, housewives are still changing their identities to get along with their “new” families and suffering domestic harassment, women of all ages, stature are still fighting (with or without their knowledge) with the society to establish their career, identity and life. This is the case of an average Indian Woman.

Gals are considered as “grace” “respect” and “beauty” of Indian households. Good till here, but the very gals are paying the price of being the respect of houses. How many gals in an average (or even so called progressive) Indian family can claim they had equal upbringing as their male siblings? Everything from their dressing sense, talking sense, walking sense is directed, managed and programmed by the elders of the family to save the respect and grace of their families. May be they have their own reasons, but the truth remains that equality is not as conspicuous in treatment as in words.

If families are liberal, society isn`t in many cases; barring few cosmopolitan areas of metros, no place in India is absolutely safe for gals. If a gal is liberal, she is stamped as lewd and the whole world is hell bent to take chances. If a gal is seen in a modern wear, eve teasers strip them with eyes and dirty looks, filthy comments as if it’s their privilege to do so. Buses, malls, roads, colleges, bus-stops...you see that everywhere. So there is an unwritten rule that gals who are reserved are good and all others are bad. Broad-minded, progressive are taboo words. And we claim to be a country where ladies are worshipped. Sick

We hear about casting couch in film industry. But that doesn`t mean its limited to film industry, We hear about it more often in filmdom as some kind of glamour, celebrated status and curiosity is linked to celebrities and actresses. But it’s equally rampant in every nook and corner of the society. Corporate world, Fine Arts, Government offices – you just name it. These kinda favours are sometimes asked blatantly and sometimes in a garb and the style / intensity differs from person to person. Good looking gals can get their things done easily only because there are perverts around who fish for their chance.

Housewives are domestic labour in most of the houses throughout India. We see a lot of funny jokes suggesting that men laugh for the last time in the wedding and blah blah blah but how many men realize that housewives have to don the roles of poor chefs, baby sitters, maids of the house. That’s the fact, not withstanding some very progressive and broad minded guys of the new generation. The lady who bears the brunt of the pregnancy and delivers a baby putting her own life at risk can't even give her last name to her li'l one. Tragic ! But that’s how our society is

All the afore-mentioned cases refer to well to do secure families. Now what about trafficking and girl abuse? We can't even imagine the plight of such women. There are cases where gals of age 5-10 are raped and thrown into the dirty mire of prostitution. Only because they are vulnerable. Let me confess that the whole idea of writing this post came out from this small video by Sunitha Krishnan. My heart bleeds when I see this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeOumyTMCI8

I know I can't contribute anything to this issue, except raising my voice in such platforms. Thanks to internet.

Coming back to the point I mentioned at the outset. Do women deserve special attention and respect in our community ? I got my answer now and it is YES.

A woman is a personification of love, grace and sacrifice. The woman is a beauty of home, grace of the society and respect of the family. She is mentally strong enough to take on the entire male dominated world full of hurdles. She is lovable, adorable. She sustains life and she makes the world a better place to live in. AND SHE DESERVES RESPECT.

I know Women's day was around the corner and this post would have been my tribute to the feminity. Better late than never. Just a word of love and support to the women you love might make a li'l difference to their lives today. Make them realize how special they are :)

I salute my mom, wife, sister, aunts, women among my family, cousins, relatives, friends, acquaintances in particular and all women in general for whatever they are. And yeah, whenever anybody addresses you (if you are a guy) as a momma`s boy or a wifey`s guy, take it as a compliment as I do :)