These days there is so much hullabaloo about treating women as equals or special…. I did not honestly want to join in this conversation… Why? Because, it is such a farce…. Do men who consider themselves the rule makers and messiah of the society really want to treat women at par?
Since ages, men have enjoyed the status of ‘Pati-Parameshwar'(Husband is God! Really…???). Did they ever consider it as ‘special treatment’? No Sir! They consider it perfectly normal and their birthright. But the moment you want them to call women their ‘Lakshmi’, ‘Saraswati , ‘Janani’….it is called ‘special treatment’ of women! How many actually even ask their wives before splurging? How many actually send daughters for higher education? How many acknowledge the role their wife plays in bringing up of child?
Men have had, in historical and mythological stories, unquestionable access to multiple partners for sexual gratification inside and outside of institution of marriage….I with whatever little knowledge of mine have not come across women having such freedom! Even ‘Ahilya‘ who was duped by none other than ‘Indra’ himself, into physical intimacy, had to spend ages as stone idol being cursed by ‘husband’ till Lord Rama’s ‘feet‘ touched the idol. Meanwhile ‘Indra’ till date enjoys the status of ‘God of Gods’…Is that treating women equally? It sure looks like treating men specially!
Today when a woman climbs up the ladder of success, many a times her success is attributed to her physical appearance…. There are women, no doubt, who might have once in a while taken advantage of their sexuality to gain undeserving benefits….but then there are more such men who have indulged in ‘Yes-Sir’ attitude and greased the palms of people to reach higher echelons of their career….. Do they get discussed as often as those women who exploit their gender?
Working women, spend equal hours in office in similar stress situations….but once they are back home it is their problem if the food is not ready, laundry is not done, child’s school work is pending and so on. She comes back home and gets occupied in these house chores…. Honestly, all men please cross your heart and reply…How many have voluntarily assisted their wives in these chores…? Is that treating women equally? If women then demand help from their partners in these chores, why is it called ‘special treatment’? Isn’t it the other way round…aren’t men being treated specially?
Question isn’t whether men know the difference….it is whether they are willing to acknowledge that it is they, all these years, who have enjoyed “Special Treatment”? Question is whether men will now let women have same things which they assume as their rights? Whether they will honour her decisions?
The women, of course wish to have equal basic rights…. who to marry, when to marry, how to dress, what to study, where to spend, when to relax, when and where to work….
And unless the basics are in place…men have no right to gloat that they treat women ‘specially’.
“I’m blogging for the India Today Woman Summit 2015 #WomenPower activity at BlogAdda.”
Shoma Abhyankar 
Very well said. We have to go a long way as a society.
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Thank you Mridula… Yes we need to revamp our mindset totally.
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