India's Tale of Women Emancipation

The entrenchment of gender inequality and the existence of patriarchy are global phenomena that have existed for over six millennia. Aristotle’s exclusion of women from political activity and Rousseau’s argument that women should be educated differently and excluded from citizenship provide us ample space to keep us from the fallacy of observing women subjugation as India’s malaise alone.

In fact, as is borne out by the Vedic scriptures, ancient Indian society was gender neutral and women enjoyed a very high standard of learning and culture. However, when the first, second and third waves of feminism promoted significant progress in women emancipation in the global arena, India was traversing in the reverse direction where women became the captives of tradition and culture. The colonial Britons did their bit to further the cause of Indian women, but it was the Constitution of India enacted in 1950 that provided the opportunity for women to fight for their dignity and legal rights.

Unsolved problems

Notwithstanding the many legislations that aim at safeguarding women’s rights and the women empowerment schemes, the Indian society is far from normal and has been witnessing atrocities including torture, lynching and hanging of dead bodies on trees and unreported marital rapes. The sex ratio hit a new low in the 2011 decennial census (Census 2011) as there are only 919 girls compared to the 927 as per the 2001 census, Haryana being the worst performer with 834 girls for 1000 boys. Even in a developed state like Punjab, more than 154 girls are ‘missing’ vis-a-vis 1000 boys. India faces vehement international flak when it comes to the treatment of its women. A global survey compiled by the Thomson Reuters Foundation declared India as the fourth most dangerous country in the world to be a woman.

 It is arguable that the pathetic plight of Indian womanhood is predicated on patriarchy and misogyny which are deeply rooted in the Indian psyche down the centuries. The social acceptance of Khap Panchayats, honour killings, banning women from temples like Sabarimala, domestic violence etc. has not only affected the mind-set of the male population, but has also made women passive accomplices even though they may not actively support them.

Gender segregation being relatively higher in Indian society, people tend to assign jobs and platforms differently to men and women. Traditional families are intolerant of premarital sex and even academics find it embarrassing to teach the mysteries of sexuality at school.

At the same time, globalisation has brought about a cultural mix and an irreversible shift in the Indian society as well. What one sees as a globalised culture in the media and on the city streets has a stark difference from the values imposed at home encouraging sexual frustration. Therefore, a globalised culture along with unfulfilled sexuality can lead to an unwholesome addiction to pornography and even to crimes.

 Leaving no stone unturned

Women empowerment policies, despite their acclaimed modalities of implementation, will prove ineffective if they cannot create an impact on the outlook of the people. Social attitudes, traditions and culture are endogenous factors that will take a long time to get transformed. But public policies can catalyse this process and it requires a philosophical rethink in addressing the causes of gender disparity in India.