Today’s Republic Day celebration will go down in history with a lot of firsts in the field of women equality and empowerment. There is an all-women contingent from the Assam Rifles, there’s the BSF lady cadet in the motorcycle stunt team performing a standing salute on a bike and it’s the first time a woman will be leading an all-men contingent.
And why is all this happening? It’s because there is no gender bias in the military organization. It’s one place where women and men are both looked upon, and considered equal.
Women in the army are treated, and looked at as equals. They face, and have to handle the same responsibilities and work as their male counterparts. And we have to thank the men here too.
Army men are also trained to treat their women equally. They don’t look at them as inferiors but equals. If the very same attitude was developed throughout India especially, there will be fewer cases of rape and insecurity in women.
It’s not possible for all the women to go to the army to gain their independence and equality in life. However it is possible for men to always look at them at equals, if not the stronger and better gender.
If you ask me why women are better now, and not necessarily equal, there are cases of women in the army who balance their roles as a mother, wife and a cadet.
And most of them manage to do this quite well. This is something you don’t read much about men. It’s usually women who have to juggle so many roles, and she‘s still searching for women equality.
By writing all this I’m not advocating that men are scumbags and that women are the best. I just want to drive in the point that if given a chance, women can do quite well in their lives.
It’s quite well proven through the various fields and accomplishments women are making in all spheres of lives. You have an example set here in the army, and then we have sports people like Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, Dipa Karmarkar, the Phogat sisters, Sakshi Malik, Mithali Raj and then there are women doing so well in their respective careers like Indra Nooyi, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw and Priyanka Chopra.
Family Support
Where were all of them before? Why have they suddenly come in the limelight? It’s because women are finally learning to speak up their voice, and have the support of their family and spouses. They are now given an opportunity to bring out their talents, which was not possible before.
This is where women are looking for in equality. They need reserved seats only as security against the leering men like in buses and trains. You read so many cases of men groping their partners in their sleep. It’s for protection against these types of men that women ask for reserved seats.
In fact, women can prove to be more competent than men in some fields. Men are also no less. Women don’t want to prove they are better than men. They just want to be given equal opportunities, and thought and looked upon as equal to men.
They don’t want to be thought to be sex objects and don’t even want to prove that they are physically and mentally stronger than men. All women ask are to be given equal opportunities to come out of their homes and comfort zones and achieve something in life instead of just being ‘the lady of the house’.
Change mentality for women equality
If all men change their mentality, and thought that women are equal, if not more competent than them, then there will not be any need for reservations for women.
Yes, most men have changed their thoughts. Once upon a time men used to ask, “Why should a woman stand on a bike and give a salute?” (While they thought it was okay for a man to do it!)
This was long ago. It’s because most men’s thinking has changed that women are allowed to achieve things in life. Of course, there are some men who still look at women like the lower or weaker sex, and it’s because of them that women go about shouting for women equality and empowerment.
Just like only a few women will actually push out a man from a train compartment, they are enough to etch a bad impression on women in the man’s minds.
Similarly, it’s the men who look down on women, who look at them as sex machines and consider that women are meant only to stay home and cook and serve them that instigate women to fight for their equality.
I have to say, I have nothing against the author of the first post, about men not being scumbags. I just consider it, and today’s Republic Day a great opportunity for me to voice my views about women equality and empowerment. This platform gave me an opportunity, which I could not miss! Jai Hind!
