Women: Time for Reflection or Celebration

Women, the better half of the more dominant species i.e. men, are still facing the basic question- Are they still better off? Before answering that question, it is very important to understand its contextual relevance in this fast changing world. In present era, which is being governed by the dictum of Globalisation, the opposite gender has made its presence and importance felt considerably. But still, a lot more has to be done in order to bring them at par with men so that they can enjoy the same respect and rights.

In the “shining” India of today, the issue of women empowerment has taken the centre stage and every nook and corner is being looked into in order to provide a strong foundation for the development and empowerment of women. We can celebrate the fact that some things have changed because of the relentless campaigning and struggle by women's groups in India. For example, despite efforts to kill them off before they are born, and after they are born, girls in India are surviving and growing up into confident young women; more girls are now going to school with many of them topping board examinations; women entrepreneurs and managers are making their mark in a world of men; despite the stubborn nature of male politicians with regard to the Women's Bill in Parliament, more women are visible in the political spectrum and in the run up to the general elections. This is just a rough list of the celebrated achievements of the female force in which many others can be added. These clearly reflect the changing persona of feminism in our country that has not remained within the closed walls and has come out to take on the world. It has become a force to reckon.

But, there is also a flip side to this hunky-dory atmosphere. When we sit back and reflect on the rocky road that lies ahead for the majority of the women, we come across some worrying situations like the numbers of women as compared to men continue to decline in India; despite progress in science and medicine, millions of Indian women die each year giving birth; despite changes in the rape laws, the convictions for rape are few and far in between while the incidence of violent crimes continues to grow; despite mountains of words about women's right to participate as equals in politics, the Bill to reserve one-third of the seats in Parliament for women dies an unnatural death in the Lok Sabha. These factors continue to hamper the path of development for the women. So, if the women really have to reach the pinnacle, they have to overcome these.

Fortunately, there have been some success stories that give a glimmer of hope. Recently there was an interview of the daughter of a taxi driver of Mumbai on TV. She, to the amusement of all, spoke in English about her dream of joining the media after her studies, her family and how she plans to fulfill her dreams. Thus, there is not only the likes of Arundhati Roy, Anita Desai or Kiran Bedi who represent the face of the Indian women, it is girls like these that clearly show signs of improvement. Such underprivileged daughters are the real source of inspiration for all those who are not so well off or does not enjoy a good social status. Stories like these drive the development process from the grass root. Yet, the glow from these stories of success, of girls and women who have overcome obstacles to achieve something, should not hide the continuing areas of darkness. The "feel good" motto of the ruling coalition has rubbed off on the media. There is a lot of writing about the achievements of individuals, including women, and institutions. Yet, you hear little about the women away from the media glare, for whom things are not going so well. As a result, it is easy to build an illusionary world, one that highlights the successes without balancing them with failures.
Therefore, we will have to look at both. It is only if we have a real sense of what is happening with women, all women, rich and poor, young and old, can we hope to arrive at strategies and solutions that can make a difference and go beyond rhetoric and tokenism. "Real women" have no problem dealing with both — the celebration and the reflection.