The famous mystic poet of our country, Rabindranth Tagore quotes “Women is God’s best creation”. She adds beauty, elegance and charm to every aspect of life. Sadly enough, she has been neglected and her virtues glossed over by the predominantly male society. The concrete-fatigued efforts towards creation of an equality based Indian society seem to be overshadowed by women being labelled as inanimate objects despite them being the perennial source of inspiration for man in his odyssey of life.
In ancient India women enjoyed full respect and honour and were regarded as the better halves of men. They enjoyed equal rights as men and were permitted the access to liberty to receive education and prepare themselves in their own manner, to face the arduous battle of life. Keeping in tune with ancient India, in modern India as well the women are the builders of the nation. They have distinguished themselves in various spheres of life and have proven their efficiencies by excelling as politicians. Poets, scholars, diplomats, doctors, women ministers and women ambassadors. Such distinguished names as Mrs.Indira Gandhi, Mrs.Vijayalakshmi Pandit, Mrs.Sarojini Naidu had established their worth to the curious orthodox gaze of Indians. Naomi Parker, Anne Frank, Rosa Parks and Germaine Green have left a permanent imprint in the fundamentals of the world by protesting against oppression, fighting for equality, inventing thought-provoking fascinating inventions yet maintaining themselves as the rational figures of the society.
Women have struggled for equality and against oppression for centuries, and although some battles have been partly won women are still partly affected by all forms of violence and by discrimination in every aspect of life. Their battles being won disproportionally insinuates the orthodoxy, sickening vision of men in the prejudiced society.
The atrocities against women are a mumble on the fair name of humanity. The incidence of crimes against women, which has started showing an upward trend during these massive socio-economic changes happening all around the globe, points to a deliberate mischief. In the field of politics there has been some regression. Year after year we find a decreasing number of women participating in the political arena. One explanation to this can be that while among the very advanced families, both men and women reach high positions, among the lower strata of the society the condition of both men and women is very uncertain and precarious. Going on with the obscenity and immoral behaviour around the world, violence against women is rising at an alarming rate.rape is not only the motive force behind the crimes against women. A woman by her very constitution, is vulnerable. We have only to know the experiences of working girls from the moment they leave their home for work up till the time they return, not forgetting the irony that they are nonchalantly exposed to the prying eyes of hungry men of all ages and classes. Whether she is a working middle class lady, a factory worker, a domestic worker, a government official or the company executive, she is exposed to the loathsome vision of the eyes, wherever she is, whatever she’s doing. This happens not withstanding the fact that our constitution ensures equality and safety for all.
Today, in almost every stratum of our social life, women are treated as inferior creatures. Although with constant repression against the male-dominated prejudiced society, women are no longer in their traditional role of sex objects.Women are gradually transforming themselves from inanimate objects to radical creatures to establish an identity of their own. They no longer consider the male-dominated milieu gratifying for the traditional role of sex objects is being rejected. The myth of male superiority is only a distortion that came in the wake of growing male domination. The emancipation of women has occupied an important place in the scheme of social reforms undertaken in various countries, towards the growing 19th century.
Women possess strength enough to dream of a brave, new world. They are fully capable of articulating their aspirations and carving them into the circumferential endorsements around them. It reminds one of Dianne Mariechild, who said,
“A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.”
In the present chaotic world, only women can carv the situations into a more systematic order. However, along with the expression assertion of their identity and notions, women must be aware of their duties, rights and responsibilities. They must be given equal succession and rights under the law.
Mahatma Gandhi had once declared,”Woman is the companion of man, gifted with equal mental capacities she has a right to participate in every minute detail of the activities of man and she has an equal right of freedom and liberty with him. She is entitled to a supreme place in her own sphere of activity as a man is in his” woman aren’t only the epitome of grace as embossed by the society, that are, forsooth, a rational creature way apart from the derogatory references and glorification of their so-called virtues.
Eighth of March is celebrated every year as the International Women’s Day. It was entitled so because of the active participation of women in France, during the February Revolution known in Soviet Historiography as the February Bourgeois of 1848. It how’s that women of today want to lead a dignified life of equality with men. The slogan being raised today by the women of this world is: Equality, Dignity and Self-Respect is what we want. This slogan is indicative of the new awareness among women the world over.
The prejudices and superstitions about women must be tested on the basis of rationality and an equal status must be accorded to them in the society, way ahead of the gratifying, orthodoxed societies’ world. It is surprising that in spite of so many laws, women still continue to live under the strain of male-domination that manifests itself in the form of various kinds of hardships and indignities meted out to them. To ensure equality of status for women we still have miles to go. Once this is done, the world will certainly be a better replace to live in.
