B) Observations of life situations that evoke questions and responses.

    

Today I woke up in the morning with a cock’s crow. My mother asked me to go and get a packet of milk from the mother diary. As I reached there, a girl wearing shabby clothes and carrying a torn book .With a curiosity I told her what happened? Why are you looking so upset? To which she replied,” Didi do want to study”. Her response left me speechless. As the day drifted alone, people outside in the neighborhood were actually talking about the ‘gender discrimination’ that our country   facing. After this conversation my thoughts took me too far and forced me to think, that what is wrong with our country? Why such gender discrimination taking place still in the 21^st century? Is our country really developing, where a child could not get his/her universal rights? Every day in newspaper, television or in radio’s we heard of girl abuse, molestation, child trafficking, etc. when this all be stop? Each girl child should have the same right as that of a boy. As a citizen, it should be each and everyone’s duty to ensure that each child whether it’s a girl or a boy should get their rights and elementary education.                 Talking about the socialization of Hindu middle class, a woman says-once a girl is married, she too cannot expect to visit her family often. “Is it really necessary to follow such customs or traditions?

 We often see that in an Indian family, the girls are being neglected in terms of food and nutrition, healthcare, education and decision-making. Even at the time of birth, the family members keenly want a boy child. The desirability of having sons and undesirability of having more daughters is made explicit. We often heard a statement: Four daughters? Each one will take ten thousand (Rs.10, 000) and walk out of the house. Bringing up a daughter is like pouring water in sand or like watering a plant in another’s courtyard.

     There is another aspect of the process of socialization i.e. training for feminine task like work around the kitchen, dirty household work and childcare generally in the feminine sphere. The distinction between feminine and masculine work comes early in childhood and becomes sharper as the child grows up.

A girl who does not like to do feminine work is reminded that if she thinks that she becomes a male,” she has mistaken”. How can she escape it? Having been born a female? Even in the serving and distribution of food within the house is that the leftovers food should be eaten by female and not by male members of the family. A country where we worship women as a GODDESS then why on the other hand women gets deprived of their basic rights. This can be stopped only when we will give our best bit of contribution to raise a voice against this discrimination and an equal proportion of equality for women. Then our country can get rid of this discrimination which has been practicing in our society.

One more situation that every girl has faced at any point of their life is that of eve-teasing. Why this crime is getting more and more? Are we responsible for this or the perception that society think for girls? Eve –teasing is a form of sexual harassment by strangers. Even Delhi, is considered to be most dangerous cities for women. The structure of Indian society is always been male dominated but in the modern era, women tried to break this male domination. Though, we have grown by leaps and bounds yet, the most basic structure of society is showing no sign of improvement. A large percentage of Indian women have faced or facing this menace, whether it is a public transport system or public places or shopping malls, a women find themselves vulnerable to threat of eve-teasing everywhere. Eve-teasing is a complex problem and it required more attention than what it has actually got. The term ‘eve’ actually signifies that the eves are the women who provokes male for vulgar comments and behavior. But that is almost like blaming the victims for their sufferings. Every man needs to know how to behave with women.

Eve-teasing in India has to be removed with women empowerment and girl education. What’s the point of education if the people are not willing to respect women? The traditional mindset often blames the eve teasing incidents on women that they provoke male by wearing scanty clothes. That is actually a lame excuse. Even if females wear modern dresses it does not give man license to harass women, the answer lies in the changing the mindset and inculcating morals and values in our education. Women should empower ourselves to fight back. Same story every day and now you are wondering what to do? Many women have been found carrying pins, chili-powders and even daggers to protect themselves. Self- defense classes have been practiced in metropolitan cities that teach karate etc. Joining those classes will not be a bad idea. If you feel too shy and reserved to defend yourself and keep the suffering to yourself, its time you get up and raise your voice. Although, you can always pretend to ignore the comments but things would be much better if you can just look straight into the eyes of the offenders and speak up. So, I think a change can be there but it needs effort and needs to be implemented.