The plight of women everywhere!

Look at the leaders today, look at the media today and look at the behavior of many around the globe today. It is nauseating, so to say! Are we happy at going through the headlines, the news channels constantly reviewing and researching negative events of the day, the killings, the ambush, the sinful behavior of the youngsters as well as the old towards the feminine faces of society? India once respected its mothers like goddess. Not now, but Swami Vivekananda has rightly pointed out, “where women are ridiculed, where women shed tears, the country will never prosper. We have done that and we are suffering in myriads of ways. There is no use to blame god. Honor the women, girls and babies. Make them happy and comfortable! In how many households women are respected.

The story of girls is very pathetic. They live until their twenty plus years with parents, brothers and sisters. In their homes also, they are denied decent treatments. While the male members get all facilities and benefits, the girls are denied even the fundamental freedom of education. The parents feel that the girl should be given in marriage in time. If the parents are poor, the fate of the girl can be judged. She cannot chose her would be husband. The parents and brothers decide her fate. If the girl is good looking, mostly she will be given to an aged man for financial considerations. But the circumstances are changing in respect of educated girls who are employed in decent posts. They can choose their own match through the marriage portals. But, there is no assurance of happiness. Whatever biodata we enter into the portals are reflected in the matrimonial sites. These have become like e-commerce sites where one can purchase anything from a needle to automobiles! Then what to talk about bride grooms? Only one lacuna is there is no review or comment column!

Hence, we have two categories of brides. One category is docile, obedient and follows the wimps and whispers of in laws and husbands. The other category is educated, employed and standing on their legs. The boys cannot dictate any terms with them! But, compared to the population of women, the educated and employed is only a miniscule. In the villages, in every family, it is the girls and woman who toil all through the day. They rise early and go to bed very late. They have to clean utensils, broom the house and surroundings, tend the cattle, water and feed them. Then they need to fetch water from wells and attend to kitchen cores. Sometimes, they need to go to the local shops to purchase daily requirements. Contrary to that, the urban educated and employed live in ladies hostels, spend their time in offices and enjoy the evening watching TVs or gossips. But, if you look at the character of a village girl, she will be modest, she won’t come in front of other males, always remain closeted in kitchen or backyard!

This is the situation obtaining everywhere around the globe! Women toil all over the globe in preparing food, taking care of children and engaged mostly in housekeeping! Mostly, the girls from rural steps tend to become good wives, taking care of the in laws etc. They were trained in the house work even from their childhood. They are hard workers, possess common sense and patience!

While the urban educated are egoistic and selfish and looks after their own welfare and happiness and naturally, the husbands become remorseful after sometime.

Now, I come to the main part of the story! All people invariably want only happiness! But happiness is not in the forte of women. They could get satisfied only through looking after others in the family. They eat only after all the members and children are fed. Outwardly, it may look that females are persecuted everywhere around the world, more so in Muslim families.

The fact is women are stronger than man folk. Since they are stronger and could bear pain more than men, they are allocated the most crucial responsibility of bearing the baby in womb and give birth when the baby completes the nine months period. Man is comparatively intolerant and hence the onerous task of birth of babies is associated with women. Man enjoys one day rest from his job, mostly on Sunday. But ladies have no rest. On Sundays, they need to exert more since they have to cater to the taste buds of their husband with tasty preparations. Nowadays in addition to husbands, wives too attend to some office work or teaching jobs. By this they could supplement the income of the family, but who will take care of young children at home? Naturally they need the help of elders in their families. If one engages some governess to look after the children, then the babies will imbibe the habits and qualities of the governess.

Hence, ladies seeking employment may solve some economic problems but the children will become alien! Why we go to jobs? It is only to foster the families! If job seeking by women goes detrimental to children, the very purpose stands defeated. Of course, I don’t want to generalize this aspect. In many poor families, everyone needs to earn to avoid starvation. Hence, it is a very common feature for women in rural areas seeking some manual jobs like agriculture helpers. In urban areas too more than 50% of the ladies goes for some employment or other. They want to become independent economically. They don’t want to pester their husbands for money!

Hence, ladies may attend some part time jobs so that her household chores, looking after children are not affected much. But the welfare of the family is more vital than earning money! It should be the responsibility of husband to earn and take care of the needs of the family!