Editor,
I would like to voice my disagreement with the article ‘Responsible feminism’ published as part of ‘Monday Musing’.
Well, the article did start on a very interesting note and I quite enjoyed the comment made by the author’s son, but what followed thereafter was disheartening for someone like me who has faced my own share of victimization on account of my gender.
What I found to be problematic was the author’s narrow understanding of feminism, which is a multidimensional topic and has certainly not changed to women being better than men or degrading them.
I also fail to understand the connection between the struggle for gender equality and that of raising one’s voice against the deep rooted prejudices that come with being born a female. I would also like to state that when I ask to be treated ‘well’, I am not playing the women card but asking for dignity and respect. Is that really too much? How can one not understand that it is men who effortlessly adapt themselves into new spaces because our society is more men-friendly, unlike extra efforts that have to be put into the same job with the same or even better qualifications by women.
No doubt there may be false cases filed against men, but isn’t there double the case of violence against women, and triple cases of those that remain unreported. I am certainly not against men, but what I do not ascribe to is the glorification of men to such an extent that it trivializes the issues of the everyday struggles faced by women.
No amount of beneficial provisions as provided in the constitution of India, special acts or enactments could alleviate the condition of women, which continues to worsen with every single day, but the author seems to have an issue with tokenisms like ‘beti bachao, beti padhao’ and separate queues in front of an ATM. I have stood in queues along with sweaty men and I tell you, it’s not the best experience.
People may not have access to feminist literature like the author does (hoping she really does) and may take her narrow perspective as the be-all-end-all of the matter, thereby adding to the already existing woes of women.
And, it is not a woman’s job to teach men to be faithful, especially in a county where an entire movie had to be made to explain the meaning a simple ‘No’. I am not as privileged as the author, so I am yet to come across the kind of society where men are judged by women and the latter given undue importance.
If I may quote George Orwell to end my grievance: “All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.”
Dawa Zangmu,
Jang, Tawang