Women and Her Dependency- The Inside Inequalities...

Women and Her Dependency- The Inside Inequalities...

Just few days back, when I was having a discussion on political battle, a person spoke about a quote as "You can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the states of its women". While searching I came to know that it was propounded by one our country's PM. मेरे दिमाग में एक ही शब्द आया इस वाक्य के लिए: "Bullshit". नही गोबर कहने से मज़ा नही आ रहा, ठीक जैसे "puppies" cute है, लेकिन "कुत्ते का बच्चा" गाली लगता है या फिर piglets भी cute है, लेकिन "सूअर के बच्चे" गाली लगती है। हाँ तो मैं उस वाक्या के बारे में सोच रहा था की क्या इसका मतलब city में अगर लडकियाँ shorts/minis में होंगी तो वो ग़रीबी है और गाँव की साड़ियों में औरतें बहुत सम्पन्न है? उनका quote न आज लागू होता है न इसके पहले के समय के हिसाब से था। Though we say that India women are represented by lots of goddess, लेकिन वास्तविकता में औरतों को सिर्फ़ एक secondary object तक की value दी जाती है। तभी तो औरतों का "फ़र्ज़" है पुरे घर का खाना बनाना, सबको खिलाने के बाद बचा हुआ खाना, इसके बाद सारे बर्तन धोना। तर्क यह है कि इससे घर में बरक़त होती है और पत्नी अगर पति के जूठा खाए तो आपस में प्यार बनता है। तब तो मैं यह कहूँगा कि हम सबको एक दुसरे का जूठा ही खाना चाहिए, क्यूँकी इससे विश्व में एकता और प्यार बढेगा।ओह, आपका blood-pressure शायद बढ़ गया।

How much we boast of having a great economy but practically women in India suffer from hunger and poverty in higher degree, in comparison to men. India suffers with malnutrition in women, because here women eat last and least throughout their lives, even when they are pregnant and lactating. And this was also highlighted by Mr Amartya Sen. Malnourished women give birth to malnourished children, hence perpetuating the cycle. And this is still continuing because aspirations of women are often suppressed. लड़कियों को पढ़ते हुए यह सोचते है कि अभी पढ़ाई में खर्च करो फिर दहेज़ का सिरदर्द लो। इसलिए पढ़ाई सही से नही हो पाती और फ़िर वो दूसरों पर आश्रित हो जाती है। Women are guaranteed equality under constitution but legal protection has little effect in the face of prevailing patriarchal conditions. Logically, women bear primary responsibility for their family's well-being, yet they are denied access to the resources they need to fulfill their responsibility.

India is one of few countries where males extensively outnumber females and most important fact is that India's maternal mortality rates in rural areas are among the world's highest. As per a study, girls are breast-fed less frequently and for shorter durations in infancy; in childhood and adulthood males are fed first and better. This practice of breast-feeding reflects the strong desire for sons. This nutritional deprivation results for anaemia and malnutrition among women. Both are risk factors and this complicates childbearing which gradually results for maternal and infant deaths. लेकिन चुड़ैल और प्रेत-आत्मा के साये का हवाला देकर उनका इलाज़ करवाया जाता है। एक भेड़चाल यहाँ और भी है। If women are particularly anxious to have a male child, they may deliberately try to become pregnant again as soon as possible after a female is born. और पहली लड़की के लिए दोष भी दिया जा चूका होता है। Conversely, women may consciously seek to avoid another pregnancy after the birth of a male child in order to give maximum attention to the son. क्यूँकी यह हमारी संस्कृति है। The world's formation is because of a woman but she is kept away from all her important necessities. In terms of skill development, women are impeded by their lack of mobility and prejudiced attitude towards women. When women negotiate, they are often ostracized by everybody for being "too forward". Take a reference of any marriage laws and you can see women have been kept as subordinate. Divorce is also shameful only for them and then their rights to inheritance are restricted and frequently violated.

Once Kofi Annan had states, "Gender Equality is more than a goal itself", but sadly this is missing in India. Here people need to understand the education and training for women as this makes them to earn money. As a result, they will spend it in further education and health of their children, as opposed to men, who spend it on drinks or other women. We should accept that with women's rise in economic status, they will achieve greater social presence in the household. As women's economic power grows, it will be easier to overcome the tradition of "son presence" and thus put an end to the evil of dowry. And as son preference declines and acceptance of violence declines, families will be more likely to educate their daughters and age of marriage will rise.

I believe, in this way a synergy of progress can be achieved in our "developing" economy....!

Content: Abhilekh Dwivedi