INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY-
THE IRONY OF THE CELEBRATION
Read any article on the internet or newspaper on International Women’s Day and for most of them the opening lines will be “She’s the multi-tasker – daughter, mother, wife, sister, etc.-“. What is so achieving about being a multi-tasker? A man is also a good father, son and husband. You cannot make an assumption or claim that he’s not. But a man is never identified as a good father, son or husband but as a CEO, an IAS officer, an eminent engineer or a doctor or to talk plainly – an ambitious employee. Then why are these traditional roles her parameters of identification? The irony is that these are the roles that have domesticated women- her job as a mother, her job as a wife and as a daughter and made her advent in the outside world of men more difficult.
Women’s Day should not be used as an occasion to celebrate traditions but to celebrate all those occasions when traditions were broken. In ancient days, even the desire to learn in a woman was considered a ‘sin’. The code of Manu states, “In childhood a woman must be subject to her father, in youth to her husband, then to her sons; a woman must never be independent. There is no God on earth for a woman than her husband. She must on the death of her husband allow herself to be burnt alive on the same funeral pyre. That everyone will praise her virtue”.
To reach the top, women face more difficulties than men and counter more stumbling blocks than a man does. She might not be multi-tasker or might have completely different set of interests but she is forced to do certain things because of her traditional roles in society. For example, she is ‘asked’ to learn cooking and other household works, along with her education, that she might not really enjoy doing. The famous stories of Indira Gandhi, Kiran Bedi, Kalpana Chawla, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw and Indira Nooyi are jubiliant but unveil only a part of the scenario. And if new examples are not set at a faster pace, it will be indicative of the ‘real’ status of women in society that we have prevaricated to make the women happy and ‘contented’.
Why do IITs, IIMs and ISB have disproportionately fewer women enrolled than men? Because gender plays a very important role in shaping parents’ ‘expectations’ and a child’s education. Why does the army still not recruit women to combat on the frontier? Not because they cannot be made combative; they can be. Even men need training. But because that is not the traditional role of women. If a woman can climb the Mt. Everest she can also combat on the front. Cricket is not a sport in India but an obsession. But how many would be able to tell the name of Indian women’s cricket team captain? Forget the names of players. The reason? This is not the traditional role of women. How many would be able to name a single woman boxing player?
Traditions in India and elsewhere have only gripped women in shackles which might have started loosening but the gender stereotypes still prevail. Traditions did not come from heaven but were created by us only. And their creation was subjected to our already diseased psyche that women are inferior and the biased mindset of which the Manu Smriti is a testimony.
It needs immense courage and fearlessness to defy and demolish the traditions and stereotypes. And somewhere we ourselves have want
ed women to stay in those stereotypes, that is why we have so much objected whenever the traditions were defied (of which the recent Mangalore pub incident is an evidence). If we dream of those days when women will not only emulate but also surpass men in all those fields that still remain unventured by women, and to be one of the lucky generations on this earth who have witnessed a revolution, then breaking the traditions is what needs to be encouraged and celebrated and not her ‘default’ roles.
THE IRONY OF THE CELEBRATION
Read any article on the internet or newspaper on International Women’s Day and for most of them the opening lines will be “She’s the multi-tasker – daughter, mother, wife, sister, etc.-“. What is so achieving about being a multi-tasker? A man is also a good father, son and husband. You cannot make an assumption or claim that he’s not. But a man is never identified as a good father, son or husband but as a CEO, an IAS officer, an eminent engineer or a doctor or to talk plainly – an ambitious employee. Then why are these traditional roles her parameters of identification? The irony is that these are the roles that have domesticated women- her job as a mother, her job as a wife and as a daughter and made her advent in the outside world of men more difficult.
Women’s Day should not be used as an occasion to celebrate traditions but to celebrate all those occasions when traditions were broken. In ancient days, even the desire to learn in a woman was considered a ‘sin’. The code of Manu states, “In childhood a woman must be subject to her father, in youth to her husband, then to her sons; a woman must never be independent. There is no God on earth for a woman than her husband. She must on the death of her husband allow herself to be burnt alive on the same funeral pyre. That everyone will praise her virtue”.
To reach the top, women face more difficulties than men and counter more stumbling blocks than a man does. She might not be multi-tasker or might have completely different set of interests but she is forced to do certain things because of her traditional roles in society. For example, she is ‘asked’ to learn cooking and other household works, along with her education, that she might not really enjoy doing. The famous stories of Indira Gandhi, Kiran Bedi, Kalpana Chawla, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw and Indira Nooyi are jubiliant but unveil only a part of the scenario. And if new examples are not set at a faster pace, it will be indicative of the ‘real’ status of women in society that we have prevaricated to make the women happy and ‘contented’.
Why do IITs, IIMs and ISB have disproportionately fewer women enrolled than men? Because gender plays a very important role in shaping parents’ ‘expectations’ and a child’s education. Why does the army still not recruit women to combat on the frontier? Not because they cannot be made combative; they can be. Even men need training. But because that is not the traditional role of women. If a woman can climb the Mt. Everest she can also combat on the front. Cricket is not a sport in India but an obsession. But how many would be able to tell the name of Indian women’s cricket team captain? Forget the names of players. The reason? This is not the traditional role of women. How many would be able to name a single woman boxing player?
Traditions in India and elsewhere have only gripped women in shackles which might have started loosening but the gender stereotypes still prevail. Traditions did not come from heaven but were created by us only. And their creation was subjected to our already diseased psyche that women are inferior and the biased mindset of which the Manu Smriti is a testimony.
It needs immense courage and fearlessness to defy and demolish the traditions and stereotypes. And somewhere we ourselves have want
ed women to stay in those stereotypes, that is why we have so much objected whenever the traditions were defied (of which the recent Mangalore pub incident is an evidence). If we dream of those days when women will not only emulate but also surpass men in all those fields that still remain unventured by women, and to be one of the lucky generations on this earth who have witnessed a revolution, then breaking the traditions is what needs to be encouraged and celebrated and not her ‘default’ roles.
Sis congrats on writing such a heart rousing article but i wud like to comment that may be we cud blame men for all the atrocities on women but hw many women even try to retaliate to this harshness.The bigger concern is tht women hav
ReplyDeleteaccepted the societal boundations.If we recall Rani Laxmi bai it was her die hard fighting spirit which found her way into history books.Sarojini Naidu's contribution to freedom striggle is unmatched so we have had exemplarily strong women in our nation but we need to emulate them to the core of it.Women need to learn to fight,they need to shed of the tag of weaker sex for which unity amongst womenhood is foremostly required.Why we always expect men to change themselves instead of expecting women to change men.
My manager is a Women....most Companies prefer women in all Top Jobs...you don't sound logical...u sound dillogical..lolzzz....Men play a role...they are the bread earners...Women...the home makers....will you marry a Man if he doesn't earn any money??....Obviously not....A Man does marry a women...irrespective of the fact that she ears money or not.....if my mom would have worked she might be getting more salary than my dad...but we survived anyways...its not only because my Father was working ...but becaue...my mother was there with us ...through thick and thin...a constant companion and the best friend.
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