The status of women in India has fluctuated significantly from ancient times, where they enjoyed equal rights and education, to a medieval period marked by oppression and customs like child marriage and sati. Despite some improvements in the 21st century, including better employment opportunities and decreased deaths due to traditional practices, women still face severe issues such as sexual violence, societal restrictions, and a lack of gender sensitization. The document emphasizes the need for a change in mindset, stricter laws against violence, and the importance of women’s education and empowerment for true equality.

1. Take a step to wipe her tears
Rightly said by Eleanor Roosevelt, “A woman is like a teabagyou never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water”.
The status of women in India has been subject to change
since the ancient days. In the ancient era, women enjoyed
equivalent status and rights like their male counterparts. They
received proper education, as is evident from the works of

2. Katyayana and Patanjali. The engravings on the walls of ancient
monuments depict that no ritual could be performed without
the presence of both husband and wife. In fact, women also
had the freedom to select their husbands in the practice of
Swayamvar.
But the medieval period witnessed deterioration in the position
of women in society. Practices like Sati, Purdah, female
foeticide and child marriage came into picture. Forcing girls
to marry at a tender age marred their overall development as
an individual. No doubt there were powerful rulers like Razia
Sultana, Nur Jahan, Gond queen Durgavati, but on a general
level, women were considered inferior to men.
Now coming to 21st of women is no longer untouched. It has
employment for all, it has recorded significant decrease in the
number of deaths due to Sati practice, it has better health
facilities to ensure happier and longer lives to the people, etc.
Yes, the age of technology has been a boon, more or less, for
everyone but it seems that in a bid to win the rat-race, we have
lost on finer things of life. Women continue to form the inferior
stratum of society.
In many parts of the country, girls are still being deprived of
elementary education, still being deprived of the freedom to
work outside the house, still being forced to marry in the name

3. of caste and prestige issues of the family, many are killed by
the in-laws for want of dowry and above all- they are still afraid
to walk out of the house as and when they like. Yes you got it
right! I am talking of the most serious issue about women these
days- RAPE CULTURE.
There is a sharp hike in the cases of sexual violence against
women all over the country. Now the question is why has it
gained ground so much? Who cares if a girl feels scared to
walk on the streets of the national capital Delhi? Who cares
if a rape victim is told to keep shut by her family on account
of their so-called prestige? Who cares if she dies a hundred
deaths every day due to the taunts made by the society? Why
is she considered “impure” for no fault of her? Why her attire
does need the society’s approval? Why is she held responsible
for provoking the lamest action of eve-teasing, blaming her
attire and behaviour? Why is she treated like an inanimate
object meant to be whistled Century, we have witnessed
drastic changes in every sphere and life upon, touched without
permission, violated badly at porn websites, and looked down
upon with a glare of vulgarity?
The reason is that people don’t want to believe that women
are humans too. Yes, they deserve to be able to live freely;
they deserve respect, a chance to fly high like a free bird. The
root cause lies at the mindset of people. You feed the rape

4. culture when you ask your daughters to dress properly instead
of teaching your sons to behave well. You give it a fire when
a girl gets raped on the street and nobody comes to help. You
support it by asking the victim to accept it as a part of life and
not revolt against it.
There is a lack of gender sensitization amongst a large section
of people. It’s completely irrational to treat the mother who
gives birth to a baby as a mere object of satisfying sexual
greed and pleasure. We have enough examples around us,
16 December 2013, the Delhi bus gang rape case- what has
it changed? Practically, nothing! Delhi has witnessed 1330
rape cases till Oct in 2013 according to The Hindu. According
to the National Crime Records Bureau, 24,206 rape cases
were registered in India in 2011. A new case is reported every
20 minutes. Laws have changed but why isn’t the scenario
changing? Because deep down the mentality of people hasn’t
changed.
A woman cannot be herself in the society of the present day,
which is an exclusively masculine society, with laws framed by
men and with a judicial system that judges feminine conduct
from a masculine point of view. Consider Pragaash- a threemember, all girls rock band of Kashmir. Shortly after their win
at the Battle of Bands, the group began to receive death and
rape threats. The Grand Mufti publicly criticized the band,

5. stating that they were exhibiting "indecent behaviour" and
that "this kind of non-serious activity can become the first step
towards our destruction". Why can’t women be free to pursue
their dreams?
It would take a long time to alleviate it completely but it needs
to be started now. Our sons, brothers, fathers must realise
that a woman’s dignity is the pride of the nation and they
should make all efforts to uphold it. It’s her human right to live
peacefully and proudly. The laws need to be stricter to enforce
strict punishments on those found guilty of eve-teasing, rape,
brutal violence, or any kind of sexual violence and molestation.
Being educationally and financially independent is a key step to
bring women to a level equal to men. Brigham Young said “You
educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you
educate a generation.”
The term ‘working mothers’ needs to be complemented
with ‘working dads’. And this requires sensitizing the
population, more importantly the women themselves, to the
needs of women and demands made on women. The rigid lines
demarcating the perceived roles of a man and a woman in
society need to be merged and muted.
-Priya Kumari