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Feminists in India are fighting for issues of immediate critical urgency – violence, equal wages, life with dignity
“They don’t want me to sit at the Gram Sabha” said Janakben.
Sexism, gender inequality, and reproductive health are the burning hashtags that we find on the internet today. But do we discuss these issues and search for their root causes?
Janakben is a 55-year-old Kshatriya woman from Sihor, Gujarat. She works for the rights of unprivileged women and is an active member of Mahila Swaraj Sangathan.
Though women constitute half the population in India, most of them are unable to be a part of socio-political and developmental activities. They are unable to do so simply because of caste and gender inequalities.
Why gender and caste inequalities? Well, the answer drags us to the pit of 2000 years old caste system of Hinduism. The caste system that is still a stigma where several Indians get cornered.
Women like Janakben are kept under the veil. Some even titled untouchables. Being a Kshatriya woman it wasn’t easy for her. Kshatriyas were considered royalty and these royalties don’t let their women out.
The restrictions are not confined within the Kshatriyas only, there is another class of people overlooked by the masses. We know them as Dalits. According to research, 25 percent of the Indian population is Dalits. Sadly they face a ton of discrimination and social restrictions.
Even though there is a 33% reservation for women in the gram-sabha, they have to face harsh criticisms in the panchayat. The situation for Dalit women is even worse. Women like Janakben are trying to raise the voices of these subjugated women.
She does a lot of social work too. This includes raising voice against violence, and providing women with medical care. Janakben is the only woman from her family to become a member of Panchayat.
India is a developing country with respect to women equality, among other things. The government initiatives like “Beti Padhao Beti Bachao” is an extraordinary initiative demands for the fulfilment of the girl child. But sadly things are still the same. No one talks about the equal rights of women.
Like Annie Zaidi said “Feminists in India are fighting for issues of immediate critical urgency – violence, equal wages, life with dignity.”
Most of the NGOs for women run by men. They generally focus on education, health, sanitation, etc. but not on gender equality or caste discrimination.
Moreover, media houses are also not particularly concerned about these people and rights. So, now the question is, does the government really concerned about the rural women? Or it is just an illusion?
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Hi, I'm Sunita Singh from Assam. Recently completed PG in Mass Communication and Journalism from Tezpur University. Find me on Instagram - sunitasinghthakuri Email Id- [email protected] read more...
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Women today don’t want to be in a partnership that complicates their lives further. They need an equal partner with whom they can figure out life as a team, playing by each other’s strengths.
We all are familiar with that one annoying aunty who is more interested in our marital status than in the dessert counter at a wedding. But these aunties have somehow become obsolete now. Now they are replaced by men we have in our lives. Friends, family, and even work colleagues. It’s the men who are worried about why we are not saying yes to one among their clans. What is wrong with us? Aren’t we scared of dying alone? Like them?
A recent interaction with a guy friend of mine turned sour when he lectured me about how I would regret not getting married at the right time. He lectured that every event in our lives needs to be completed within a certain timeframe set by society else we are doomed. I wasn’t angry. I was just disappointed to realize that annoying aunties are rapidly doubling in our society. And they don’t just appear at weddings or family functions anymore. They are everywhere. They are the real pandemic.
Let’s examine this a little closer.
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