WHY DOES INDIA NEED FEMINISM?

 

According to Britannica, Feminism is the belief in social, economic, and political equality of the sexes. Although largely originating in the West, feminism is manifested worldwide and is represented by various institutions committed to activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests.

India needs feminism because a woman is not a burden and marriage should not be the only reason for her existence. Every year over 2 lakh girls are killed even before they can step into this world and thousands of women die due to dowry harassment. In many Indian households, males and females are treated differently; education, as well as nutrition for boys, is prioritized, while that of the girl is neglected. Women in many Indian families eat last and the least after serving all their other family members. This discrimination is reflected in the statistics released by the government, which states that almost 50 per cent of teenage Indian girls are underweight and 52 percent are anaemic.

Also, no man should be under the pressure of being emotionally and physically stronger than a woman. It’s time that statements like “Mard ko dard nahi hota” and “Ladke rote nahi” are side lined and men are not sneered at for volunteering to take up responsibilities at home.

 A woman should not be considered a responsibility of a male throughout her life, whether it be her father, brother, husband or son. Practices like ‘kanyadaan’, ‘Raksha Bandhan’ and the ‘purdah system’ where a woman is veiled behind a ghoonghat, highlight the extent of male dominance. These practices emphasize that strong, capable men have to protect the weak, fragile women and that women aren’t designed to protect, but to be protected.

The media portrayal of feminism contributes to its stigmatized image. This can be credited to both traditional and social media. Media has painted the feminist as a raging, man-hating woman. She is likely conventionally unattractive, overly sensitive, and perhaps she identifies as a lesbian. She focuses on fruitless protests and trivial things such as bra-less rights. Unfortunately, this cultivated image is not unexpected. Society has proven time and time again to reject assertive, trailblazing women. In this case, the media contributes to the derailment by playing up on society’s misogynistic, homophobic ideals. In reality, there is no one-dimensionality to feminists or the feminist movement. Feminists are made up of people of all genders, of all sexualities, of all classes. But even if feminists are angry, are gay, what is wrong with that? Why is it wrong to strive for equality? Given the injustices that women continue to face, it should be no surprise that many are willing to fight for change.

In India, for instance, dowry-related deaths account for 40 to 50% of female homicides in the country. Another shocking statistic shows that as of 2016, four cases of rape are reported in the nation every hour. A survey conducted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation places India at first place for the most dangerous country for women on the basis of criteria including healthcare, economic resources, cultural and traditional practices, violence (both sexual and non-sexual), female foeticide and infanticide, and human trafficking. India contains the highest number of girls that are married before the age of 18, as over 25% of all women are married underaged despite laws forbidding this practice. Therefore, there is an unquestionable need for feminism in India for the sake of women’s safety.

Women also face tremendous discrimination in the workplace worldwide. For example, the gender pay gap in India is reported to stand at 19% on average, with the percentage increasing as the skill level of the job rises. Sources such as Oxfam urge the world to look at the amount of unpaid work that women do, the addition of which causes the gender wage gap in India to rise to 34%. It is important to note that additional factors such as race and caste play a role in increasing the wage gap as well. Statistics about the global economic gender gap paint a grim picture. The World Economic Forum predicts that with the current rate of progress, it will take 202 years to close this gap. The rewards of closing the gap promptly are vast, both for women, society, and the economy as a whole.

Also, recent movements such as #MeToo brought the conversation about sexual harassment and assault to the mainstream, serving as a wakeup call for not only the entertainment industry, but other industries worldwide. This in turn led to tangible reformations in many workplaces in the form of social and policy change. Expanded attention on intersectional feminism, in addition, has increased the inclusivity of the movement, taking into account imperative factors such as race, religion, sexuality, and caste.

It’s time we recognize that feminism isn’t about making women strong. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives this strength. Nobody should be afraid of being referred to as a feminist because it frees both men and women from the imposed gender stereotypes. Feminism shouldn’t be perceived as hostility against men because Me asking for my rights will not deprive you of yours!