Women-The Untapped Talent

There's always this myth in society that women are vulnerable everywhere and at any point of time. Women are the victims here and hence they are blamed. Blamed for going out at night, wearing short dresses, moving far from home, falling in love with an abusive or toxic person...…and the list goes on. Blah, Blah, Blah !!!

Since they are more prone to vulnerabilities they must be controlled and ordered around so that they won't go overboard. And the curious fact here is many men as well as women think this is alright.

Let me tell you, my dear folks, some incidents that happened in my life for real.

I remember an incident a few years back where I got chastised by an older women publicly because my skirt went up a bit because of the wind. She slut shamed me just like that. When I was in my 10th grade I got a warning (more like a blackmail) from my teacher because some boy in my class had a crush on me.

 At 18, I had to hear a lecture from my father about the ill effects of talking to my boy best friend through phone for more than 15 minutes. Because talking to a boy through phone for more than 15 mins is like that boy is trying to hook around me. What gibberish! 

There are many more incidents which I think would take a lifetime of mine to narrate. And this narration is common in the life of most women. I don't know how many of them actually realize that they are constantly being chased by such stupidities. 

In this world where men are the rule makers most of them think its quite alright to control the lives of women. They become the comforters, the protectors, the care takers and everything they could be so that "Women are kept safe and sound". Most girls are conditioned at a very young age about how they must be protected all the time. Most Indian families condition their daughters to be the torchbearers of their family's reputation. This idea is wound around a women all throughout her life. This very idea stops her from being herself and she carries with her this unidentified pain. Male members of a typical Indian family make rules in their women's life so that this so called family reputation is protected. Another reason is because men might be afraid of a wrong idea of a women dominating their life. 

Most Indian families decide what's best for their daughters. Its a sole right they exercise. Its a key with which they could control their doll of the family. 

The Right to Freedom

 A women's freedom always comes with conditions. They will constantly be surrounded by the noises of people in their life. Will they ever shut up!! I sincerely doubt that. Noises are constantly buzzing around and no one really cares. Many a times women are forced to hear those noises and live with that throughout their life. What does our country talk about a women's freedom? There are constitutional as well as legal rights. But are they really aware about such rights available in our country. Sadly many are not. The overall literacy rate in India is 74.04 % as per the 2011 census with men and women having 82.14% and 65.46% respectively. The average school drop out rate in India among girls is higher than their male counterparts. Poor sanitation facilities, improper roads and transport, stigma on menstrual health, child marriages, poor health and other social stigmas curb the right of a young girl to live a life to the fullest. 

So when women are unaware of their rights and opportunities they are ultimately succumbed to the inner circles of the society and no voice is heard. If we take the other side that is, a woman being aware of their rights and opportunities in their life...are their voices unheard of? The answer is yes and no.

Many women come to the forefront to fight for their equality while many are forced to move back due to backlashes and blows they receive from the people around them. Maybe they might have lost their trust in the executive and judiciary. So what difference does it make- Being aware or not ? A woman being aware of her rights at least gives her the opportunity to fight the injustice happening to her and an unaware woman might not understand what's happening to her. 

So what should be done to let a woman grow? The answer is simple. Let her have her own choices in her life, let her be free to be the person is wants to be, don't make her feel like an incapable person. She doesn't want to be protected under the so called patriarchal norms but be respected in all spheres of her life. Let me conclude this with a quote by Hillary Clinton "Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world". Lets wish the world explore more of this talent.