Monika’s Musings: Waiting for a time when women’s rights will no longer be an issue

October 7, 2016

I love being a woman and at no time have I ever felt otherwise. I celebrate how much women have achieved and the strides made by women in personal, professional and social fields. Having said that, it bothers me to even think of it as progress. True, it is a fact and true women have had to struggle and so yes it has been a struggle, so I should stop feeling bothered and celebrate. However, it bothers me because while I think we have come a long way, there are still so many gaps. That bothers me. Without a woman there would be no man. Conversely without a man there would be no woman. So we are equal and that has to translate across all fields. It should never have been an issue in the first place but that’s a moot point. It was.

Why am I going on about the woman/man divide? Because I was cogitating on this last week. I saw Pink. I can see the light going on and indulgent people saying, Ah that explains it. But no that does not explain it. As a woman, as a single woman, as an anti-establishment woman, as an independent thinking woman, as a daughter, as a wife, as a mother, as an ex-wife, as a working woman, as a friend, as a sister on so many levels I challenge the need to attach labels to women and expect them to behave in a certain manner. I actually thought we were progressing in our outlook but obviously I am mistaken because while Pink may be a movie, possibly a melodramatic exaggeration, it is a reality. And it is sad to think, in today’s world, where women are responsible for research in the solar system, putting rockets into space and running multi-million dollar establishments, they are still subject to feudal mindsets. I know I am often told how to dress, behave and what to say because I am a woman. I reject the need to conform and refuse to toe the line nine times out of ten. But I succumb that one time and hate the fact that I need to.

And this is not an India-centric issue. In the US too, women have had to fight and continue to do so. They may have won to some extent on a personal front since men pitch in for errands at home and in child-rearing etc resulting in more equality but on the professional front, there are still demands for equal pay for equal work women have not been able to break some glass ceilings. The biggest one of them is for President of the United States. Considering this is supposed to be a progressive country, it is way behind developing countries like India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Brazil as well as first world countries like Israel, England and Germany in allowing a woman to lead the country.

Hillary Clinton’s biggest issue is not her lack of transparency or her emails, it is that she is a woman. Donald Trump shoots himself in his foot at least half a dozen times a day but his juggernaut keeps rolling on, gathering more followers as it moves. His qualifications do not even compare to Hillary Clintons. If Hillary had been a male candidate, none of her supposed scandals would even have been an issue. That Trump is considered a better candidate than a woman questions the mindset of the American people. And brings me full circle to my fury at the need fora woman, even today, to establish her relevancy and capability, whether living in a city in India or a suburb of the US.

There is a new book out, “One India Girl”, written by India’s mainstream popular author, Chetan Bhagat. While I have not yet got my hands on a copy, reviews say it is about feminism written from a male perspective. Apparently, Bhagat has been toying with the concept for a while because he understands there is a gender divide and wanted to address the issue and why it even exists. It should make an interesting read given my misgivings on this topic.

Ironically, India is a country where the female energy or Shakti was at one time considered to be supreme. Over time, the trinity of male Gods became powerful and slowly Shakti, though still worshipped, was relegated.

I wait for a time when women’s rights will no longer be an issue. I wait for a time when there need be no talk about reservation for women, something I am opposed to just as I am opposed to reservation of any sort. I believe in a merit based system but that is another issue altogether.

In the meantime, it is time for yet another presidential debate. I wonder if the woman will yet again get under the man’s skin.