The article “Treat women at par with men” (March 27) reminded me a statement made by our Revenue Minister V. Srinivas Prasad that “It is not enough to name rivers and hills after women, we should respect the women around us and treat them at par with men”. To bring women at par with men, I think first and foremost they need to be given the right to voice their opinion. Women should no longer be considered as inferior sex. They should stand side by side with men and define their role in society. A sad reality for women today is that even if they encompass all the qualities associated with being a woman – empathy, compassion, helpfulness – these qualities are grossly devalued in our society. Women should be given an equal chance of education to compete with men on an equal footing. They need to be given equal rights even in their homes, with lesser or no restrictions to enable them to move freely. Men should take an equal share in housework to liberate women from the kitchen. Instead of passing comments that she can’t do it because she is a woman, men should see her performance first. Judge a person on his/ her performance and not on the basis of her gender. What we need is change in thinking, while we look at a woman. There is need to respect her, and treat her as equal as men. Besides the most important aspect is to make working for women safe in India.
Vinod C. Dixit
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
