Disadvantage women

The horrific crimes against women that rocked the country —Telangana, UP, Haryana, Maharashtra — this past week have once again brought into sharp focus the age-old issue of their security. Also, it made a bigger dent in the confidence of women who had stepped out to claim their space in a society in which they ought to be equal partners. Debates raged among outraged MPs, experts and the public. Women cowered in their seats a bit more, regressing into the I-could-be-next syndrome. A vertical split on the propriety of the extra-judicial punishment meted out to the four accused of raping and murdering the young veterinary doctor ensued. It was indicative of the mindset of a society oscillating between desperation and faith in the rule of law. Women recoiled in dread; more fathers feared for the security of their daughters. The broader atmosphere of vigilantism and mob lynchings only added to the spectre of trust deficit, decreasing the threshold of tolerance. Will the depravity ever end, wondered more and more people shaken by the shootings of the four accused and the burning of a rape survivor. 

Amid cries for justice, additional steps were put forward for the protection of women — more fast-track courts, better utilisation of funds and technology, helplines, buses for girls, self-help training. Why did all this do so little to boost women’s morale and self-esteem? No doubt, these measures, buttressed with strict law enforcement and quick retribution, are important deterrents. But these are not enough. 

The inglorious blot of India being the most dangerous country for women seems to be getting blacker. Crucial to wiping it out is introspection and focus on why things have come to such a pass. The underlying cause — the deeply entrenched patriarchal mindset — must be yanked out to give way to equality of and respect for women in society. Unless each one of us — parents, educators, the government, judges, individuals and everybody else — recognises and practises this, women will continue to be violated and abused.