Women as equals? It’s (not) absurd
Imagine a world where your life is governed by others. Every move of yours is confined by the traditional ideals of society. A world where you don’t even feel safe in your own home, city, state or country. You have a promising future, yet you cannot get there. Insignificant as it may be, something is holding you back, like a dog on a leash. This is the unfortunate situation of women in India, the country ranked 129th among 189 countries on Gender Inequality Index, a country where women are worshipped as idols but thwarted as human beings, a country where even today, women serve no more as caregivers and domestic workers, where women are mere possessions, weak and fragile, incapable of protecting themselves and yet, we want to call ourselves developed when we are rejecting the significance and contribution of nearly 50% of our population. Of all evils that man has made himself responsible for, none other is so degrading, so shocking, or so brutal as the abuse and under-treatment of the better half of humanity, the female sex.
The idea of patriarchy is so deeply ingrained in our lives that we often forget to acknowledge it let alone find a solution to the catastrophic problem of perenially oppressing an entire section of the population. We talk about equal pay in the age when as young girls we’re reminded every day of our lives that we are not safe in our own homes, in our schools, and that our attire will determine whether or not a man will force himself on us. Every year, we feel we are coming closer to the idea of equality, but are we? From Nirbhaya to Laxmi Agarwal to Nikita Tomar, have we truly transitioned towards a greater civilization? What’s more saddening is the fact that every rape case, acid attack and shooting becomes a political tool in India. A crime knows no religion, but rather than focussing on the fact that a young girl or a woman was harassed, killed, or raped the entire discussion reduces to religion and bigotry.
As a young girl, I firmly believe that we will have successfully demolished patriarchy the day when my father doesn’t have to worry when I reach home late when my mother doesn’t make me change clothes because she is scared that my exposed skin will attract unwanted attention, when I will not be called a spoilsport for getting offended when a boy my age cracks a sexist joke and expects me to laugh at it, and when I will be able to live my life free from inhibitions and fear. Women safety, Feminism and Equality will end up being just dictionary terms unless all of us together systematically uproot the idea of patriarchy from all levels of society. Women should no longer be quelled by the traditional viewpoints of society. We live on Earth, share one spirit and should seek justice for all.
The spirit of this revolution is renaissance. The revival of issues previously unacknowledged or dismissed as insignificant is crucial. Feminism will be a successful movement only when it becomes a collective effort.
Now, think about a world, once again, but this time we are free.
Dystopian Utopia
Put her behind the veil, I pray
That’s where she’s destined to stay
Take from her, the melody of her voice
Command her to not have a choice
Remind her that She’s a toy
To please the next-door boy
Teach her that it was a sin
To walk the lonely paths, in lights so dim
She is a commodity to be bought and sold
That’s what she must be told
Please stare at her, her beauty her grace
For all she demands is a praise
Her dress too short, such a whore
Wrapped in a burkha, such a bore
That thigh-high slit, sure a hoe
It’s her skin she wants to show
She just your object of desire
To satiate your lust, what you require
She’s your pawn, in your game of Her chess
Her body, her existence, you possess
Teach her not to scream
As you steal her esteem
Oh, choice and masters of this age
Educate her to never outrage
That white bedsheet, her test of purity
What she must pass with surety
Marriage gives you license to rape
Rake her skin as you undrape
That bottle of acid was pure justice
By her ‘no’ were you disgusted
Oh, yes she’s born to serve
She is your’s to reserve
Did she wink and smile
That’s an invite to defile?
Was she too drunk that night?
You can molest her now, right?
Also, tell her how to dress
’Cause she’s born to impress
Don’t push her far too ahead
That those men begin to dread
Feminism is just a word
Women, as equals that’s absurd
Teach her of course, she’s never alone
You follow her in paths unknown
Curb her to her very bones
Until she begins to moan
Don’t you let her dream
To be free else she’ll scheme
Why not kill her in the womb?
Than push her alive in a tomb.
