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Women in our society
"ONCE MADE EQUAL TO MAN,
WOMAN BECOMES HIS SUPERIOR" - SOCRATES
Is this the reason why left to men, women will never achieve
equality?
Some women,fact surpassed their male counterparts. The
names that immediately come to mind are such it may be argued, have achieved true equality and
in some cases have in as that of
Margaret Thatcher and Indira Gandhi but there are also many
others who are not so notable. In addition there
are many other women that we meet in our everyday life who,
quite unconsciously in pursuit of their personal goal, have
asserted themselves and found acceptable role for themselves
which in no way is inferior to that of their male
counterparts.
Often
such privileged women and men will patronizingly proclaim that
the women's lot is improving, but will there ever be true
equality? There are many women in our community who are
oppressed and unable to realize their full potential. Any such
woman who finds her situation intolerable needs to assert
herself to be able to find happiness for her and ultimately
this will also benefit those around her.
Most women are reluctant to break
with traditions, nor are they militant campaigners of women's
cause; but in pursuit of personal goals, they
resist the pressure to conform to the traditions designed to confine women to subordinate roles.
Individual acts of such women can imitate a chain of events,
which ultimately affect all women, by setting examples. A
large number of the women who are able to assert themselves
come from privileged background or are privileged in having
the support of family, which assists them in achieving their
goals, and the status that is associated with it.
Of course, women will readily accept that they are not like
men; they are different in many ways. However, a large number
of men and sadly also a considerable number of women regard
this to mean that women are inferior and as such should always
be in a position subordinate to men.
There are various traditions and
ingrained prejudices in our society which conspire to keep
women in this subordinate position and which increasing number
of women are now finding unacceptable. For example:
A widow or a childless woman is considered to be a bad omen
and made to feel inferior and often excluded from rituals
associated with auspicious occasions.
The birth of a second male child
in a family is very agreeable but not that of a second female
child. The women are often burdened with a feeling of
inadequacy and guilt.
The women's family carries a heavy burden of social obligation
to her husband's family. Even the occasions of Rakshabandhan
and Bhaibij which are very auspicious symbolic and happy
occasions, are dreaded by many a married women living in a
tradition extended family system because the presents that she
receives from her parents or brothers are subject to scrutiny
and petty criticism by members of her husband's family.
It is sometimes heartbreaking to
see the modern and intelligent young girls with potential who
find these prejudices painful become conditioned into
accepting it as they grow order or allow themselves to be put
in a subordinate role.
Perhaps understandably so, as a daughter of marriageable age
is regarded as a burden upon her family. For instance the
expenditure on the occasion of her marriage and the continuing
obligations to the bridegroom's family on many other
subsequent occasions, i.e. birth of a child, marriage etc. A
resourceful person with a potential to make a significant
contribution is thus lost to the community.
Finally, to conclude I will say
that I am not trying to encourage women to revolt or rebel but
merely trying to raise awareness of a great loss to our
community due to perpetuation of irrational prejudices
masquerading as traditions or culture.
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