International Women’s Day – March 08
Marching Towards Equity
*Barnali Das
Take any project from the Mars Orbiter Mission to the simultaneous
launch of 104 Satellites, the contribution of Indian women scientists in their
success is being hailed and celebrated not only by India but also across the
globe. Scientists like Dr. Tessy Thomas, N. Valarmathi, Minal Sampath, Anuradha
TK, Ritu Karidhal, Moumita Dutta, Nandini Harinath have made every Indian feel
extremely proud.
Just like these scientists there are a lot of women who are trendsetters
and are glowing examples of excellence and knowledge in diverse domains. This,
however, is only one end of the spectrum wherein educated, successful and
empowered Indian women are positioned. A vast majority of women at the other
end of the spectrum still face enormous amount of sexism, discrimination and oppression.
They are still far removed from demanding their rightful place in life and
society and thereby, exercise their fundamental rights including the Right to Equality
(article 14), enshrined in the Constitution of India. The only way forward,
therefore, is to reduce that gap and balance both ends of the spectrum.
Fortunately, we are on the right path, working
on the principles of gender equity. The
contribution and participation of women in the work force and in the political
arena at the grass roots level has enabled India to climb 21 spots in the
Global Gender Gap Report of the World Economic Forum in 2016. It has climbed to
87th rank in 2016, which is a vast improvement from being ranked at 108th in
2015. It has substantially improved due to attainment of education, economic
participation and opportunity, health and survival and political empowerment.
(Source: https://reports.weforum.org/global-gender-gap-report-2016/economies/#economy=IND) It ranks 9th on political empowerment in the world, which is a
major achievement and also underline the inherent strength of the democratic
model our country has adopted.
However, there are no two opinions that there is a long way to go
as far as gender equity is concerned and one of the major stumbling blocks is
how women are perceived by our society. While the legal and
constitutional framework protecting rights of cross sections of women is
extremely empowering; liberal and progressive awareness about these provisions is
abysmally low. Even if legal awareness is there, accessing justice, navigating
through the long winding legal tangle, is no mean task for any common man or
woman.
Similarly, gender imbalance and gender discriminations,
leading to a steady decline in the female population of the country since 1961,
is a well-known stigma in the growth story of India. The multi-sectoral Beti
Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme was launched in 2015 by the Prime Minister to
address precisely this issue and reverse the decline. The declining numbers,
however, reflect only part of the story. It is merely a symptom, albeit a grave
one, of the low social status of women and girls. It amply reflects how the deep
rooted patriarchal social structure in India governs the entire life cycle
continuum of neglect, abuse, inequality and discriminations in a woman’s life.
Such discriminations and violation of basic human rights of women cut across
class and demographics and manifest in minor to grave instances
of sexism, experienced on a day to day basis.
Even today, it is quite
common to come across such
instances of women being prevented from watching TV or listening to the radio so
that they do not get “spoilt to being compelled to drop out of school, forced
to marry early etc. These discriminations might be serious or minor,
outrageously offensive or so niggling and normalized that one doesn’t even feel
the need to protest. Misogyny and violence against women and girls are
increasing at an alarming rate.
#WeAreEqual Campaign of WCD
Given such a context, awareness, mindset change
along with social and behavioral change towards creating an enabling environment
for women and girls to achieve equality, becomes a constant necessity. It also
becomes a necessity to engage with men and boys who are equal stakeholders in
the process. It is imperative that men and boys show the mirror to our society
and become equal partners in the war against sexism, inequality and gender
discriminations.
Targeted at raising awareness, Ministry of Women and Child
Development initiated a social media campaign #WeAreEqual recently on
13thFebruary, to highlight the need for equal opportunity to
women in the fields of education, health, nutrition, safety and dignity. The
Campaign is part of a series of initiatives to mark International Women’s Day
on 8th March including the Nari Shakti Awards ceremony. It appeals
to all to participate in the campaign saying, “YOU and I, WE are one. This International Women’s Day, share your
slogan of equality and join the change.”
The campaign is getting a lot of traction on social media as
more and more celebrities, sports stars and everyday heroes have joined
in. Both men and women have been posting the #WeAreEqual messages on social
media for positive affirmation of gender equality. They are also communicating
their personal stories and efforts towards creation of a gender just society. Additionally,
it indicates ownership of common people of not only the importance and
necessity of gender equality but also their willingness to take responsibility towards
invigorating change.
Popular actor Aliya
Bhatt and Indian Skipper Virat Kohli will also lend their support to the
Campaign as indicated by the Ministry of Women & Child Development earlier.
Superstar Amitabh Bachchan, Wrestler Sangram Singh, Olympian Boxer Mary Kom,
Dia Mirza and ISRO scientists K Thenmozhi Selvi,
Subha Varier and Minal Rohit etc. have already lent their support to the
campaign. Social influencers like them can not only boost traction but also
inspire change.
For the Campaign, Mary
Kom has posted as follows, “I want every girl to have the liberty to pursue her
dreams. Give them more recognition in sports.”
Amitabh Bachchan has
delivered the #WeAreEqual
message in a very emphatic manner by making this declaration for the campaign: “When
I die, the assets that I shall leave behind, shall be shared equally between my
daughter and my son! #genderequality #WeAreEqual.” Needless to say, this
message very effectively advocates for equal property rights of men and women.
Common people are also sharing
their personal stories and messages with this hash tag, reiterating its
necessity, application in daily life, acknowledging the world of sexism faced
by women every day and that it is a valid message to send out.
There is absolutely no
doubt that India needs to maintain its tempo in the march towards achieving
gender equity and a gender just society where men and women have equal access
to all resources and opportunities. Every little effort, every campaign, every
initiative counts! And every stakeholder has to believe in it.
*******
*Author
is a freelance writer and a development communication professional, currently
serving as Head, Communication at SOS Children's Villages of India. Views are
personal.