By Uma Purkayastha
Patricia Mukhim’s article ‘International Women’s Day: A ritual that’s lost its moorings?’ is most appropriate. She is very right in pointing to the useless celebration of International Women’s Day in our country, where women are faced with multiple problems without any remedy in sight.
International Women’s Day is celebrated across the world to pay special respects to women for their extraordinary contributions to society. The main purpose of celebrating the day is to extend solidarity to women who are victims of inequality and injustice. Meghalaya too celebrates the day every year in a befitting manner; but beyond the one day observance women are a forgotten entity.
In a matrilineal society atrocities on women such as teenage pregnancies; plight of the abandoned mothers etc., are rising by the day despite the existing laws that prohibit child marriage. Crimes like child infanticide, accusations of witchcraft, gang-rape, trafficking, sexual harassment etc., are common today. This was rarely heard of even 30 years ago.
Women abandoned by their husbands/partners include even educated women but few take such cases to a court of law hence the culprits get scot-free and continue to victimize other women.
Patricia Mukhim rightly pointed out that ‘Poverty drives women to sex trade’. From my personal experience, whenever I passed by the Transport office towards Jail Road, I would come across a middle aged woman, wearing a torn sari with a new born baby in her lap, begging for help. Her disheveled clothes, particularly in the winter days, would melt my heart, and with motherly feelings towards the baby, I would help her as much as I could. I would carry my children’s used, warm dresses to help her child! But to my utter surprise, the very next year, I discovered she was pregnant again! The baby did not even complete the first year. Who is responsible for her plight? Definitely her poverty; but what is the remedy? Had the woman any other means to survive other than surrender to the misdemeanours of the man. What are women’s organisations doing for such women?
The needy, young unemployed girls with requisite qualifications, but with no jobs are frustrated and prefer the unfair way of earnings to meet their personal needs. I vividly recall a sad incident which I faced 24 years ago but left an indelible mark in my heart! It was March 8, 2000 – International Women’s Day. I was busy in my school office room when a teenage girl came to me for a job. She looked very smart and could speak English fluently! I asked about her qualifications but she kept mum for some time, then hesitantly uttered ‘I studied up to class VIII Ma’am’ and suddenly started sobbing! I was puzzled! Did I hurt her!
I consoled her and wanted to know why she was crying. She narrated her tragic story. She was a student of class VIII of a recognised school of the city (she was unwilling to divulge the name of her famous school), and would come to school by bus from a distant corner of the city, with other friends. One day, while returning from school, unfortunately she missed the bus by a whisker as she was noting down Hindi lessons from the blackboard. The next bus would take a minimum 20 minutes to reach. She did not wait but started walking swiftly so that she could reach home by dusk. She knew her mother would be very worried when other girls would arrive before her! She took a short-cut to reach home faster. When she was almost reaching her locality she was attacked by a group of goons who pressed a scented hanky upon her nose and mouth to mute her and then she had lost her senses! That was all she could recollect. When she regained her senses, she heard her mother wailing, “It is better if she had died.”
The young girl said the culprits left her unconscious, damaged body in a road-side dustbin, which was discovered by her pet-dog, while everybody was searching for her. She was brought home, but no report was sent to the police or the local headman, to avoid public criticism and slur! She was not taken to the doctor either. Neighbours, particularly the women started visiting her, not with sympathy but disdain as if she willfully committed a crime! Though she recovered, she dropped out of school. Again she sobbed, saying she was a good student, a sportsperson and singer; but she lost everything! She blamed her fate and asked me, “Will you please tell me Ma’am, is it my crime? If street dogs bite an innocent passerby, is it the person’s crime? How could I fight the well-equipped ferocious culprits?” I was silent. It touched me to the core as if my own daughter was crying!
The girl said her mother, a vegetable vendor, had now expired and she lived alone without any income. Hence she needed a job very badly to maintain herself. She also told me that she did not want to stay in the same village where she was born and brought up! She hated her neighbours and her society!
Unfortunately, I could not provide her a job in the school because there was no vacancy; but that very day along with the girl, I met some of the institutional heads. But no one was willing to help as that would harm the image of their institution.
But unexpectedly I met an old friend who had just started a children’s school and I sought her assistance. She asked the girl, what job she preferred? The girl smartly replied that she could do any job – cleaning, sweeping, nursing, even teaching rhymes, counting etc. Moreover she was ready to be a full- time domestic help in lieu of a safe shelter and food. My friend was touched by her response and immediately appointed her as one of her domestic staff. I was highly relieved!
This is just one example of our educated social life! Are we advancing? We could not overcome our prejudiced mentality despite our qualifications and sophistication. The so-called educationists and school authorities did not even consider that a similar fate could befall their own daughters. That was a very sad and disappointing experience of my life!
Women continue to face insecurity, mental harassment, rape, exploitation and extreme cruelty. The safety and chastity of even minor girls are at stake today! Sometimes the protectors themselves become the predator. What can be more pathetic than that; and where is the solace?
The aim of Women’s Day is not only about women’s empowerment or acknowledgement of women achievers. The primary aim should be the protection, safety and security of women so that all women can move freely and safely. It is high time for women to raise their voices against atrocities and violence against them and strongly demand for proper enforcement of existing laws. Stop granting bail to culprits to prevent repetition of heinous crimes against women. The weak and debilitating justice delivery system should be addressed. Rapid and stringent action by the Government against atrocities on women should be given top priority. If distressed women are experiencing the same darkness of victimisation, what is the purpose of celebrating Women’s Day?
Celebration of Women’s Day will be meaningful only when our girls, our women and our innocent baby girls are able to move freely and safely. Will this day ever dawn?