A woman is the essence of humanity, she is a mother, a sister, a daughter, and a wife, but first, she is a woman. Her own identity as a human being is often forgotten, under the immense weight of all the roles she has to fulfil. The ‘me’ often gets settled within everyone’s ‘we.’ Her freedom is compromised and desires curbed.
India is a Socialist, Secular, Democratic, and Republic. But do we understand the pure essence of these terms? These adjectives remain lost in the history textbooks only to emerge from the closets in saffron, white, and green attires on Republic and Independence days. Even today, we ask the question, are women truly independent? Are they free? Do they have the right to choose, the freedom of speech, or the freedom of thought? Are they able to walk, talk or dress as they wish without being judged?
At every step of her life, a woman has to face these hurdles. Even Goddess Sita of the Indian Mythology was not free of these hurdles. The world has set precepts for her without her opinion. Her decision-making power is lost amidst the anarchy of men and their desires. There are many, who despite living in a sovereign country, have to face issues regarding the primary choices in life like following their dreams, getting married, having relationships, and career advancement. Why is it that even today that single females are not rented houses freely?
Socially acceptable ills plague women even now. The theories of the dowry system, illiteracy, female infanticide, sexual harassment, domestic violence, child abuse, rape, prostitution, and many more have crawled their way through in the 21st century as well. Prejudice runs deep in households as well as workplaces. Females are demanded to do things in a certain way, a way appreciable to society. Often they are told to find an eligible man for marriage instead of being exposed to education, self-reliance, and liberation. How does a man give a woman validation of her existence even in this day and age?
To bring awareness to society and for women to be empowered, they need to be educated. Women empowerment is about having the confidence to stand up for one’s rights, to be economically self-sustaining. This will grant personal freedom to women, to live life on their terms to stand tall and confident. Absolute freedom will be from the shackles of stereotypes and double standards. Each one of us has to come forward and do our bit in empowering women. A helping hand from her brothers and fathers can do wonders for her.
