|
|
The South
Asian Life & Times - SALT |
|
|||
|
Contents Cover Story
|
|
||||
|
What a Shame! Was 2012 the Year of the
Woman?
November
2012: An Indian woman holds the record
for total spacewalk time by a female astronaut.
In addition,
she has spent a total of 322 days (close to a year) in space on two
missions, and now ranks sixth on the all-time U.S. endurance list, and
second all-time for a female. The woman is Sunita Williams.
While the world
celebrated the achievements of these extraordinary women, back home in India
– 2012 was a different story.
A record number of rapes, gang-rapes and
gang-molestations were reported from all parts of the country. Some of the
wounds are still fresh. The barbaric gang-rape of a 23-year-old woman in a
moving bus in Delhi - the national capital - on the night of December 16
ignited and galvanised the dormant anger of the public at large – the entire
nation protested in one voice – clamouring for justice. India, especially
northern India, has become increasingly unsafe for women. But this has not
happened overnight. The feudal male attitude towards women has remained
unchallenged for centuries. Centuries-old belief system has viewed women in
secondary roles, as the property of males and as second-class citizens –
meant to cook, clean, and raise children. Men
remain the entitled and privileged
species. Very little has changed for the vast majority of female population
in India. And even less has changed in the way most men perceive women. Such
cultural beliefs provide “instant scripts for violence.”
Generations of women in our culture were
raised to a state of voiceless non-existence, to fade into the background,
and this continues so in many parts of the country. Women in India have
little or no economic, social or political power – hence they are still
overlooked. In fact, they don’t matter. And because they don’t matter, they
are easy prey. Sexual harassment is part
of everyday life in India. Crowded streets, buses and trains are notorious
for gropers.
Law enforcers and public officials have
done little to provide a safe environment for women nor have they made a
serious attempt to send stern warnings of punishment for sexual offences to
the men. Reporting such crimes only brings harassment and aggravation from
the police and additional threats from the perpetrators. Examples and
instances abound. The three most immediate measures required to
safeguard women are zero tolerance for sexual offences, speedy trials, and
the harshest of punishment for offenders. Long-term, the need is to examine
how the male mind-set can be changed. In the wake of the brutal and horrific gang-rape of
a 23-year-old student in a moving bus in Delhi, SALT spoke with three women
residents of the national capital – former police officer Kiran Bedi,
current police officer Suman Nalwa, and talk-show host Richa Anirudh - all
three actively involved in women’s issues.
|
|||||
|
Copyright © 2000 - 2013 [the-south-asian.com]. Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. |
|||||