Nations around the globe have begun to recognize the deeply rooted problem of discrimination against women. Even in this new millennium and 21st century, thinking of substantial portion of our society is still primitive and the discrimination against women continues whether at home or at work place. Celebrating 8th March as Women’s Day is a feeble attempt to bring awakening amongst the fairer sex about their rights, to make them stronger emotionally, educationally and even physically so that they have a sense of participation in the development of the country.
The statements that women are now venturing into all the fields, which had earlier been predominantly male bastions and that they are rubbing shoulders with male counterparts in every field of life, are often being heard in seminars and speeches. But this is hardly the true picture as regards the real life being led by most of the women in our country, which is predominantly a patriarchal society. If one moves away from few metropolitan cities to small towns and villages, one finds that women have been since time immemorial, hugely discriminated against men. This starts right from the stage a girl child is conceived. Through tests like amino synthesis or sonography, the sex of the foetus is determined and pregnancy is terminated, if found to be female. In places where these facilities are not available and a girl child is born, they resort to female infanticide or are abandoned by the parents. If this is not resorted to there is still high rates of child mortality in case of girls because of malnutrition and lack of care. If still the girl child survives, she is brought up in such a restrictive atmosphere that she generally is physically and emotionally weak and is hardly able to lead a life of her own. The problem of dowry system has further aggravated this poor attitude of the society towards the girl child. The problem has such disastrous consequences that Supreme Court had to intervene and pass laws imposing complete ban on pre natal diagnostic technique.
Similarly although today, women have stepped out of their houses and are working at strategic places, contributing equally or sometimes even more, they many times have to bear sexual harassment at work place. Not only this, in many sectors especially in unorganized sectors, women are paid very low wages in comparison to their male counterparts. Though the constitution of India provides for “equal pay for equal work for both men and women” and the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 has also been enacted, but the wage difference still continues and in the primary sector equality of wages is a far cry.
Mere enacting of an Act or celebrating a day as the Women’s Day is not going address this serious problem. For results, the attitude of the males has to change towards females, right from home to office. Also the females have to themselves fight this discrimination and help vest all the rights with the girl child. Stern action should be taken against those promoting gender biases, as it is very clear that till this half of society, who is the creator of life, remains weak and under privileged, it is not possible to have wholesome development of our country.
