Do Indian laws support “gender stereotypes”?

Do Indian laws support “gender stereotypes”?

Our Indian society is said to be male-oriented. It is a patriarchal society that we live in. India, being a secular country, has separate laws for people belonging to different religions. These laws were made keeping in mind the ancient customs and usage of the society since the dawn of our civilization. This is because we still respect the laws and customs which were laid down by our predecessors and worship them. The practice in most religions since ancient times was such that, when looked at from modern perspective, are gender-biased. Hence, some of the Indian laws may seem to be gender-biased too. No doubt that most of the misogynistic customs have been made illegal in India such as dowry, sati, child marriage, etc. It is another question whether those laws have been effectively implemented.

Much has been said and done about the serious issues of “Gender Inequality”, but not much heed has been paid to the less serious matter of “Gender Stereotypes” which has its own impact in our society.

Let us introspect on some “gender stereotypes” which we see amongst Indian people resulting from our culture and customs:

v  The Right to pursue a career vis-à-vis the right of equality :  The way our socio- eco environment is even in the 21^st century in many cases women are expected to give up their vocation after marriage or majority of the times after bearing children. Women have proved to be better managers and in many cases better entrepreneurs too, however still they are made to sacrifice their career once they are married. This is mainly seen in our country most of the people have the benefit of living in a joint family and that would assist women to share home responsibilities and manage work or career more efficiently but it has exactly been the opposite. This cannot be resolved by enacting legislations but can only be changed with the evolution of our society and mindsets.

v  Women aren’t encouraged to tackle the issue of sexual harassment openly and seeking help if need be. Women are expected to be gentle, calm and graceful rather than being vocal forward about her views: The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, there are also the guidelines provided by the Supreme Court in Vishaka vs. State of Rajasthan, etc. have been enacted to protect women from being harassed. Women throughout the world are being harassed, and this issue isn’t something which is just going to vanish on its own, and that is why women need to learn how to tackle this problem or she will always be a victim of harassment. Parents teach their girls to ignore whistles that may come their way while walking on the road, or a seemingly harmless brushing of body parts against anyone. However, sometimes silence is taken as an affirmation by people who propagate sexual harassment. A line should be drawn between what kind of behavior is better left ignored and what kind of behavior needs to be reacted to. When such a line is crossed, she should react appropriately. That is where the laws come into the picture.

A girl who emanates qualities like being “delicate” and “innocent” is the first target of an assaulter. Whereas a woman who is publicly vocal about such things is never the first choice of the attacker. In today’s world, a woman should be aggressive and straightforward just like a man if she wants to be treated equally. An educated, forward-thinking girl will not silently tolerate being harassed.

v  Women should not travel at late night: Parents won’t freak out if their son is late, but they lose their minds when their daughter is late. Every parent teaches their daughter that the best thing for them is to be home by 6-7pm or she is sure to get raped or drugged or harassed if she stays out till late. Nobody teaches their sons to never disrespect any girl in any way and to stand up for women in need. This outlook cannot be changed by any law. It can only change with the thinking of the masses.

v  Women should always let her man lead: There are some types of families which are matriarchal where the mothers of the family make the important decisions. It is an Indian saying that women bring wealth is the house. Then why can’t she lead?

v  Women should always cook for her family: Nobody can handle each and everything in life. In families of slightly liberal minded people, women are allowed to work. But they are thinking a tad bit too liberally if they assume that all the house chores can be handled by her besides handling her job. Everyone needs help and life isn’t only about working. It would do us good to unwind and relax every now and then.

v  Women should not socialise or have any friends from the opposite sex: Women in India have always been discouraged from interacting with the opposite sex. A girl’s character is questioned upon if she has a lot of “guy” friends. On the contrary women should be encouraged to have friends from the opposite sex who are respectful and loyal and they are helpful in the time of need.

     Indian laws are very “pro” women, but the same cannot be said about the Indian attitude. A law does not come to life unless it is rightfully implemented. Recently, a woman from a small village in Indore was asked to “prove” her “chastity” to her in-laws by holding red hot iron rods in her hands and the same was to be done in front of the entire village Panchayat. The woman along with her maiden family had the courage to approach the right authorities and file a case against the in-laws and the husband. They were charged with section 498 A of the IPC for  Enticing or taking away or detaining with criminal intent a married woman.

    Hence, I conclude by saying that it is not the Indian Laws which support or promote these “gender stereotypes”, rather it is the lack of proper implementation as well as lack of the right outlook towards women that promote the “gender stereotypes”. A woman is as powerful and fearsome as a man, if only she can be made to believe in herself.