Women are not capable of being left free or independent – UP CM YOGI Aditya Nath
Yogi Adityanath’s worldview on women – many of whom backed the BJP in the election -makes for interesting reading. He believes women need male protection from birth to death and their `energy power’ should be regulated or controlled, lest it becomes worthless and destructive.
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Women in a nation like India, where patriarchy is deep-rooted, find themselves in a quandary whether to rebel or reconcile, facing an existential threat wherein freedom means loss of security.
Women in India have been deceived since their childhood. They have been taught and brought up by the notion ‘Men is the dominant’, or men is the stronger gender that they themselves aren’t aware of the strength they have. They have been coached through fear into fear. They fear men and are not aware of their own strength. They don’t know they can have a say back. They don’t know they have a voice.
For me freedom is not a choice, it is a necessity. A necessity that should be given to all irrespective of their gender, caste, color, or anything. But are we free?
Each time a girl attempts something extraordinary, patriarchy raises its ugly head. Women will truly be free when they’ll be able to shrug off the baggage that patriarchy offers. Patriarchy, unfortunately, is a different and important discussion altogether. Men are as grave victims of patriarchy as we are. The word, with all its unnecessary weight and meaning, needs to go; only then women will succeed in their fight for this cause of freedom and will be free.
Historically, women have been considered secondary to men. With endless efforts, when we were finally given rights of equality to a certain level. However, traditional society still continues to dictate the behaviors of women. Free will and independent existence are nearly invisible in some sections of the country. Definitions of morality, female virtue, and the double standards are constant reasons to fight for.
We wake up to the never-ending news of rape, gang rape, acid attack, harassment, dowry deaths, female infanticide, abandonment, etc. These have now become routine incidents. Women are a part of the largest group of sex trafficking victims, who are subjected to forced prostitution. These are mounting indicators of women’s oppression in India. Now, really, how free are women when it comes to safety?
Women, in India, will be free truly when there’s a stop to their under representatives in professional fields. Women will feel free when they can fearlessly move across the country. This gender will gain a sense of freedom when gender laws will effectively be enforced; when no one questions their sexuality. The idea of freedom for females will only be a reality when the country collectively frees itself from patriarchy, bias, atrocities, double standards, and have the ability to accept women as they are.
When it comes to women, we are as fragile as this nation. There is a lot more that we need and we have a long way to go and change till we get there.
