Like a true nerd, I dissected Rahul Gandhi’s interview transcript . He used the term ‘empower’ 25 times, mostly in the context of women. He also used the term ‘RTI’ 39 times, while the other favorite, ‘system’ , came 73 times. I will, however, make the column about one of Rahul’s favorite terms: women’s empowerment.
Turns out that when it comes to vote bank politics, women are the new Muslims. The Muslim vote bank is not quite as secure and predictable as it used to be (probably because Muslims have figured out the political games played with them). Women could support a party in large numbers, provided you can win their trust. Of course wooing women, whether individually or as a group, is easier said than done. Certainly, repeating the term ‘women’s empowerment’ two dozen times in one interview is not going to cut it.
The recent spate of gender crimes and the increasing concerns about women’s safety have made gender-related issues more important than before.
Therefore, one finds politicians making statements like — don’t you want your women to be safe? (Of course we do. In fact, we’d like men to be safe too.) Some propose reservation in Parliament (but never actually act on it). Others talk about women’s education. These are all good thoughts. However, I would like women to be cautious about one thing — the real solution to women’s empowerment is unlikely to come from the political class. Women’s empowerment is not a set of LPG cylinders that can be granted by the government. It can only happen when there is a change in culture. This change in culture will require our men to accept, share and live with the rising power of women. Since it involves a reduction of male power, it is likely to make men extremely uncomfortable. Since these men voted for the current set of politicians, it is extremely unlikely any politician will truly go against the men to empower women.
So what does that mean for women? Well, any step to women’s empowerment that doesn’t conflict with men might see the light of the day. More schools for girls, plans to end female infanticide, boosting the police force for women’s security — such steps do not impinge on the great Indian man. Thus, the politician will back them.
However, there is more to women’s empowerment . While you may educate women, how will you ensure employers do not discriminate between men and women recruits? You may be able to save a girl child from being aborted, but how will you ensure the child is looked after as well as a male child? You may have a policeman who can arrest a molester, but how will you stop groups of men from leering at a woman in a bus, and making her feel uncomfortable ? How do you explain to men that a woman has the right to wear attractive clothes, or perhaps even look sexy, but not be deemed as ‘asking for it?’ These are uncomfortable questions, and the answer lies in altering male attitudes and behavior. Indian men have to learn to share their country (and their property ) with women. They have to accept that there may be fewer opportunities for them on the career front, because women will take some of them. Irrespective of their own desires , men have to learn to live with a sense of powerlessness when it comes to being rejected by a woman. Until all this happens, women are not going to get empowered. Unfortunately, no politician will take on the men to make this happen. Politicians want to woo the aam admi. However, for all the aam admi’s extolled virtues , the aam admi is sexist.
Hence ladies, please don’t count on the politicians to change things for you. They will only break your heart. If you are serious about empowering yourselves, you have to do it yourself . Women have to make some of the above things happen and make the men change — one guy at a time. Assert yourself, don’t back down and be too eager to please the men. If you accept inequality, you are harming womankind , which also translates to half the nation.