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Those who put all blame for gender discrimination on religion forget to take into account the many ways science can be anti-women too. A balanced view.
A recent encounter in a group of progressive minded people has got me thinking. A few members there keep highlighting religion’s treatment of women, particularly in Islam (‘the book‘), as an example of how religion is anti-science, anti-women and, ergo, that only science is pro-women.
I am usually suspicious when men speak on behalf of women, because almost always they use women as tools for framing their own agenda which is often self-serving and is rarely genuinely born out of concern for women. Don’t get me wrong, many men can be sincere. But you can almost immediately spot the difference.
I argued that the field of science, in practice, is anti-women and sexist too and illustrated my point by sharing relevant links of women’s testimonials of their experiences as scientists, as well as the overall effects of sexism on the field of science. I also argued that the field of evolutionary biology has privileged male physiology. Emily Martin’s brilliant essay on how scientific language in textbooks has created a romance between the sperm and the egg that reflects traditional gender roles is illuminating in this regard.
Of course these nuances didn’t matter to the gentlemen arguing on behalf of science, who plodded on to repeat that science is objective and pro-women because science only documents the natural world and it has benefited women. As if religion has not, by the same token, given women a sense of group identity and belonging, and in many instances the only opportunity for social interactions outside the family unit.
Clearly the point about sexism in research objectives, the allocation of resources etc, all mentioned in those links, didn’t make any difference. The simplistic view that because religion has a book that stipulates how women are treated, and science does not (“does science talk about stoning?” Not religion either in most parts of the postmodern world), it somehow absolves science and scientists from being anti-women.
I further said, to posit science as an opposition to religion is a logical fallacy because both are located in society and cannot be independent of it. Science, which is the study of the physical and natural world and not in itself the objective physical and natural world, is not gender-neutral, culture-neutral, caste-neutral, class-neutral or race-neutral. Religion is the product of patriarchy and not the other way around. Science has often provided the basis for discrimination, such as how the idea of natural selection and ‘male dominance’ has been interpreted and translated to show women to be the ‘weaker sex‘. The application of science to promote racism is all too well known. Eugenics is the most unfortunate example.
Having introduced the gender angle into the discussion, it didn’t take long for the tenor to go further south. A post linking the story about India’s alleged third rank in battering of husbands soon went up, as an example of gender equality. My response to it, which proves that the information cannot be verified because the source is untraceable, was what I have also posted here on my wall. But when the thread started taking on a tone of trolling behaviour, I decided to call it for what it was and opt out of further discussion.
Predictably, I was labelled ‘feminazi’, which sadly goes to expose the hollow concern for women among some people extolling scientific objectivity. Obviously it is OK to use women as metaphors, but when women speak for themselves and pose a coherent counter argument, it does not take long to slip into gendered labelling. One is accustomed to this by now, so it is not surprising, but it catches me off guard in such situations, I admit.
While I have no love for religions that refuse to reform, and they must be challenged for their faults, I find the arrogance in the name of scientific temper quite baffling. It also strongly points to the fact that there is marked ignorance about humanities and social sciences among those who use science to attack religions.
And, feminism is still a dirty word to some scientists.
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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