SITA'S CURSE

“It is impossible to think about the welfare of the world unless the condition of women is improved. It is impossible for a bird to fly on only one wing”

- SWAMI VIVEKANAND

From time immemorial, the women in this land of ours are treated as a sort of thing.

This very issue of women empowerment arises because of the harsh reality that women are considered as a use and throw commodity.

India being world's largest democracy still views women as 'second sex'.

Her placing in the society is not at par with other human beings.

Women should themselves come forward and unite in their march towards empowerment irrespective of the caste, creed, class or religion. They must draw inspiration from successful women like Kalpana Chawala, Sania Mirza, Sarojini Naidu, Kiran Bedi, Indira Gandhi – the list is endless.

Despite the fact that India has a strong written constitution laying down laws of equality and welfare of women, brutal practices such as female infanticide, child labor, dowry, rape, molestation, trafficking, domestic abuse, sexual harassment, etc still haunt women.

Marriage has become a profitable business which puts the bride on the debit side & the groom on the credit side. Thousands of women have to face ill treatment in the name of dowry.

A women is seen as someone lesser and to compensate for her “lesserness” her parents give dowry. Even today, in certain parts of Rajasthan, hundreds of minor girls and boys are married during the Akha Teej (Akshaya Tritiya) in the total violation of the Child Marriage Restraint Act. She is forced to become a mother at a time when she is not emotionally or physically prepared for it.

Laws alone can't help to combat this because we have a terrific capacity to twist laws. There should be a moment to restore human values. We have to look deep within ourselves.

What women need to do is, raise their voice against these crimes so that the culprits receive the desired punishment.

Women nowadays are at a political level where they are free to share their ideas and views in the parliament.

NGO's have played a vital role in the empowerment of women. The government must ensure that women must get access to primary education.

As a matter of fact it is very important that the women should establish their own identity, recognize her capabilities and should seriously work towards it.

[Contributed By: Maithili Massey,