Sun, 22 Dec, 2024

Empowerment Starts With Women

By Rejina Kattel

The word ‘Women Empowerment’ is today’s scorching topic of discussion all around the world. Hearing a word relating to women's empowerment and development makes one happy but when the same person is found abusing and exploiting women, the pain nearly devastates a feminist. Woman empowerment is not limited to words, its actions that speak. ‘Woman empowerment’ means developing social, political, economical along with spiritual potency of a woman living in every nook and corner of the world. It involves mounting of one’s positive self-image, decision making power, personal skill, and power to change other’s perception by egalitarian means, intensification process and changes that are never ending and self initiated. Just by putting the meaning in the dictionary and giving speeches to masses does not provide a platform to empower women. Steps should be initiated by the woman herself, and further by family, community, society and country to empower the women around them. Question arises! Is she ready to empower herself? I say only few among us are ready. When the person in need is not ready; there is no probability of changes. People around you may be your dearest and nearest but you cannot make your dream come true until and unless you, yourself fight for your dream. The reasons are very simple and we have been watching it daily in society. Specifically in an orthodox country like ours, women have no value, though a woman may be healthy in every aspect, she is treated like a handicapped. A woman’s decision is intervened in, her choices and desires are suppressed, her feelings and emotions are trampled upon, and her life is not for her but for those who want her services. Woman is not fragile and vulnerable by birth they are made so by society and with it sparks the safety issues of woman. Today we cannot take our eyes off of such issues reported on television, radio and newspapers. Those broadcasted are only recorded and I am sure and certain that number of unrecorded abuses to woman is double than what gets reported. In Hindu religion, women are said to be the incarnation of goddess, which makes us wonder why people who believe in religious teachings are not at the forefront of cases like rape and murder of women. This is the result of male dominated society where a man and their mistakes are preserved and protected by their family and society. People say we are in the 21st century but I say this is so called 21st century where modernization is overdeveloping people with sense of  outlook, dress up and food not with positive mentality, sanity and humanity. I am very pleased for few feminist working for our right to empower, living in this autocratic society for women. This society has made women problematic topic, this is because society and so called man of this fussy male dominated society has made women insecure in every aspect. A little improvement has been made in women's education and their economic development, but not as much as one wish. There is inequality for working woman in case of outstation work, promotion, women are not given a white collar job and sexual abuse can’t be avoided and in case of physical force women are underrated with an excuse of physical weakness. Sexual harassment in public, domestic abuse by family members, prohibition from work after marriage, domestic violence, dowry system, muted voice, biased parents, eve teasing, and rape are disastrous problems commonly seen in our society which makes women vulnerable. There are many examples of women who lost their life while fighting against exploitation and abuses. The recent example we saw of a Pakistani girl MALALA YOUSAFZAI who stood up for education and was shot by Taliban and an Indian girl DAMINI was raped and murdered in the public bus. This is the reason why a common woman normally doesn’t fight to empower themselves and stay quiet. In today’s scenario we must not fritter away our time in insignificant discussions, we have a lot of important things to do. The blood that flows in a man and a woman is same, the heart that beats inside a man and a woman is same, and the nature where a man is born and a woman is same, the difference arises when gentrification begins.  I appeal to all women, ‘please wake up’; it’s already late but take a stand for your rights. If society actually wants change growth and empower women, let us women live unreservedly, independently, gladly and prosperously. ( Rejina Kattel is a student studying Chartered Accountant at Institute of Chartered Account of India, New Delhi.)