Women of India by Uma Bakshi

Imagine this scene, if you will.  

You’re in a dirty room, with your mother-in-law and the “doctor”. It’s a dark, and a dreary  place, with the smell of blood and sweat in the air. The candle near you is the only light in  the room. You are a woman, and you are giving birth to a child. You are in severe pain.  Your husband is nowhere to be found. You are afraid.  

A baby’s cry cuts through the air of the place. Your child is born. Your mother-in-law is  overjoyed for a second, until she sees the child. Her face grows impassive. Your husband  walks in. It’s clear he’s angry. You know what this means.  

You have a baby girl.  

“Take her away,” your mother-in-law says grimly. “She’s only twelve, and she is useless. God has cursed her.” The baby is taken away by the doctor, her screams still resonating in  the air. Your husband sighs. “We will try again. That’s what we do, isn’t it?” Everyone  leaves the room, except him. He comes closer to you. You know what is coming now. It’s  what always happens, except this time, the truth of your situation hits you.  

You failed in the one thing you were supposed to succeed at, giving your husband a son. All  your life, your parents told you that this was your purpose, being a good wife to your  husband and having sons. You know you’re not a good wife. Why else would your husband  treat you this way? He will do anything to get a boy out of you. Even if it means raping you, mere minutes after you give birth. Your baby girl, the 3rd child you’ve had in the last 3  years, has been ‘done away with’. You will never see her again.  

You think, maybe this is the best thing for everyone. After all, this is the reality to being a  woman in India.  

What is the biggest challenge of being a woman in India? Well, the biggest challenge of  being a woman in India is being a woman itself.  

The position of women in India is one that is very complex. Even though Hinduism includes  the worship of several goddesses, women in India are treated the worst. In fact, in India,  people often say that cows have greater rights than women.  

Why are women treated so badly in India? Well, the ill-treatment of women in India can be  dated back to the Later Vedic Age, where women were restricted from education, religious  ceremonies, employment, and other parts of society. The religious customs that we use,  even today, restrict women. This mind set has been set in Indian men for the last 500 years  or more.  

In India, women who come from poorer sections of society face situations similar to the one  described above. Despite laws against selective abortion and female infanticide, both are 

still rampant. Women from these parts of society are rarely given the right to education, and are also victims of child marriage. Women in these sects of society are often abused as well,  except they shrug it off. Lakshmi* is a maid who works in my house. She often comes with  

bruises on her arms and face. When my mother and I ask her about it, she shrugs them off.  “Why should I bother?” she says. “I did a wrong thing. He was right to hit me.” 

What about the women who belong to the upper class of society? Do they have it better than  their counterparts? They do have jobs. Yet, they are harassed by their peers for not being married, and are humiliated in society because of it. In the workplace, women are often  sexually harassed and prevented from getting equal pay. Their claims are often silenced due  to fear, or external pressure. Even in modern Indian society, things like dowry deaths, rape,  and sexual abuse are not uncommon to read about in the newspaper. It’s astounding that  women were granted property rights in the late 90’s. 

In the end, only one thing can be taken from this. The challenge women face in India is  because of their gender. The gender inequality, the social stigma, the downright hatred- that  all comes from the fact that you’re a woman. Men in India will always see you as a target,  despite their background, or occupation. You will always occupy a lesser place in society,  and you will always be unsafe. That is the biggest challenge faced by the women of India.  

*- name changed due to private reasons.