Free or Still Captive????

In today’s world when everybody talks of Women Liberation, I am forced to think ….. are the modern women liberated in the true sense? Well, they have achieved a lot in terms of career ……… be it going to the space or holding prestigious positions in MNCs or better still becoming the President of a country. But have they achieved in breaking down the social demarcation which still holds them back??

Being an Indian, let me bring out facts from my own country where mythologies depict Indian women as educated and liberated but even there we get to see an instance where Sita had to prove her purity after being brought out from Ravana’s den. This holds true even now ….. be it the conservative society or the so- called modern one. Nobody questions a guy who stays away from home overnight but a girl is expected to justify about her whereabouts.

There are numerous cases of brides being tortured for dowry, girls being sold for prostitution, new borns being killed if it’s a female, families mourning and torturing a woman if she is unable to produce a boy and instead gives birth to a girl. There are still people who believe that education is a prerogative for the boys and girls need to learn household chores in order to become a good home-maker. Even in the urban section, where ladies have managed to come out of the closet and step into the men’s world, working with them on the same foothold, cases of sexual harassment is a common menace they face day in and day out.

Now let me come to the very mundane instances and this holds true for every woman, be it the modern city girl or a small towner. A woman, after becoming a mother is expected to dedicate her life towards the child …. And she does it on her own free will …. even if it entails giving up her flourishing career but a man’s life, who becomes a parent too, is hardly affected neither professionally nor socially. Men after coming home from office have the liberty to rest but a woman is supposed to take up household chores after returning. It’s her duty, she is born to do it but if men help with the household chore, he is being kind and helpful…… and the list goes on.

So today I want my friends/readers to take a few minutes out to give me answers to the big question I have in mind ………. Is Today’s Women really liberated? Will they ever be??