SHE is equal to HE

A woman is always expected to sacrifice her ambitions, aspirations and dreams for her family. But what is hidden is that she has to even let go off her self-respect a lot of times when the male ego in her better half rises.

My eyes were moist. It was not of the tears; it was of the helplessness that I felt within. It was so difficult to change the functioning, mind sets and conventional approach of scoiety. What happened a few minutes back did not just move me emotionally but also awakened the feminist in me.

The usual boring day at work had come to an end. I was walking towards the parking outside the office building when I heard a loud voice. Before I could turn and see who it was, another shriek within less than a second scared me. Across the road, was a man in his late 40’s walking and having an argument with a lady probably his wife. The woman had a svelte figure and the man looked as fit as a fiddle. The man was shouting on the top of his voice, abusing the lady. The lady replied back and the man could just not take this. He stopped and turned to the lady. Clamped her left hand firmly and twisting it behind kicked her hard on the butt. He raised his leg again to give the poor thing another kick.  Satisfied proving his muscularity he started walking again with his male ego drooling over his face. The lady was resilient. Probably she was used to such violence back at home.  I on the other just stood there shocked, horrified by the entire episode. 

Normally I am upfront and don’t think twice in getting into such things. When I see something wrong happening I usually jump into the event without thinking of consequences. After some minutes when I came to my senses I was feeling a combination of everything irritation, helplessness, frustration, anger! How could the man just abuse her physically? Who had given him the right to hit her? Why did I not go there and slap him, stop him? How could I just let it go? When will the society change? How do I bring the change?

There were too many questions rising with no concrete answers though! I got exposed to a harsh world which I knew existed but was oblivious to it. Such things happen every day and in a lot of Indian homes.  In an Indian household where Man was the head of the family, where he was declared the undisputed king, where he assumed it was okay to hit his wife. A household where a girl was taught that she had to adjust to all conditions and situations, she had to respect her husband irrespective of how he treated her. She had to let go if she was used as a trash bag.

When will India start treating a Woman equally as a Man? When will a woman get the same respect as the man in the family? When will the physically and mental violence against woman come to an end?

The system will change with education and awareness. Let us pledge to aware and educate as many people we can. The society still needs reformation. It is a continuous process. We can’t stop. I have decided that I will never stop. Until SHE becomes equal to HE.