Nidhi Mehta- Liberating the Indian Woman

I consider myself a woman of the Modern World. I have access to the best education. I have the freedom to express my opinion. There are a plethora of opportunities for me to choose from and no one can dictate my decisions. I am the master of my life.

But this Modern World is just a façade behind which lies a grim and bitter reality.

People say that womens emancipation has been long achieved but the truth is that women are still crippled by social attitudes and orthodoxy. For most women of our country, terms like “democracy” and “gender equality” are a farce.

The Indian Constitution grants women equal rights with men, but strong patriarchal traditions persist, with women’s lives shaped by customs that are centuries old. In most Indian families, a daughter is viewed as a liability, and she is conditioned to believe that she is inferior and subordinate to men.

Where women do not have the discretionary income to invest in their own or their children’s education, where girls’ education is considered frivolous, and where girls are relied on to contribute labour to the household, they miss this unparalleled opportunity to develop their minds and spirits.

Female infanticide, child marriages, poor health and maternal mortality, illiteracy, overwork, mistreatment and trafficking have demeaned the status of Indian women. Of the 15 million baby girls born in India each year, nearly 25 percent will not live to see their 15th birthday . India has the largest population of non-school-going working girls. Working conditions and environmental pollution further impairs their health. The smoke from household biomass stoves within a three-hour period is equivalent to smoking 20 packs of cigarettes. Legal loopholes are used to deny women inheritance rights.

Creating awareness about educating the girl child is a daunting task and a change cannot be brought about unless and until the society changes its outlook towards the fairer sex.

However, it can be achieved by implementing schemes which give incentives for educating girls, using the electronic and print media, community radios as well as organising street plays to spread the message. I feel that making women economically independent is the utmost priority. Though the Govt. has taken initiatives in this regard by launching scemes like Support for Training and Employment Program (STEP) , Balika Samriddhi Yojana (BSY), Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK), etc. but the Government needs to monitor their implementation . Women also need to have greater participation in the decision- making process of the country.

My views are best reflected in this quote by Emmeline Pankhurst-
We have to free half of the human race, the women, so that they can help to free the other half.

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The Author is a IIyr Economics Honours student and an Executive Team Member of DevelopmentChannel.org