Daughters are considered as Lakshmi in our culture. Why can’t we felicitate daughters in our villages and cities by holding public programmes and look at their grievances. There are several women in society who are making a mark by their talent. There are several daughters, daughters-in-law who are doing exceptional work and some of them are teaching poor children, some are spreading awareness about health and sanitation. Many are serving as doctors, engineers and as lawyers they are helping in delivery of justice.
But when you open the pages of newspapers we are shocked to hear the news. One report says ‘Man gets three years in jail for kissing a eleven year old girl and the other one reveals a guard held for sexually assaulting a four year old girl. It raises the question that whether we lack in sex education in India. Foreign tourists coming to India are scared of going to places like Goa and interior UP and Bihar. We should think deep and plan to have better security for women in India.
While travelling by Mumbai roads women feel insecure as in the streets chain snatching, molestation, eve-teasing and even throwing acid on the face, drowsing women in front of lookers, beating the women in public view all happen without much support from the public. In the end women are the losers and they will have to face music all alone. A new study has found that nine in 10 women have suffered some form of sexual discrimination at the workplaces, which is alarming and India is not an exception to this.
The researchers at the Michigan University found that 10% of the women surveyed had experience the most severe form of harassment, in which they were promised promotion or better treatment. The position of women is going from bad to worse in the male-dominated environments. It found that although few were subjected to actual advances, such as being groped, 90% had been subjected to gender harassment. This included offensive remarks about being female, their appearance, body language and the way of dressing etc.
Cruel jokes are passed on to women and the Short Mailing System (SOS) is misused for the specific purpose. India still has a high number of female foeticide, in some places it gets worse—a new born baby girl’s neck is snapped so that the ‘burden’ in the family is destroyed forever. Her ordeal doesn’t end there, often one hears of marriages stalled or turning sour owing to dowry or due to the lack of it. Domestic violence, verbal abuse, cruelty are all sometimes just a part of lives of so many women in our country. Mumbai women need a safer city.
It was indeed a shameful act that a woman is fighting for life after her husband and in-laws set her ablaze because of her ugly looks, which brought them misfortune is yet another story of the sufferings of women in independent India. Even after 72 years of Independence, the atrocities on women continue and we are simply eye-witness for what is happening to women.
The spirit behind working women is rather high. They not only take the lead at home and office and play a crucial role in achieving whatever required in the stipulated time. This they complete despite their busy schedule on and off the field. As a housewife they take up majority of the work at home, perform outside work and do justice to their role as a home maker. It is earnest endeavour to see all womenfolk should be an inspiration to the family. Women needs utmost protection. Women are really successful in life and it is up to the government to provide the best cover in this fast world.
Success is a journey and not a destination. Nothing succeeds like success is really true. Women play the dual role of a house wife and as a working women successfully and now it is time to provide best safety and maximum protection.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
