Written by Ridhima Purohit
Being from India, I have experienced gender-based discrimination which was often used in relation to excuses that are based on Indian culture and its practices. After conducting much-needed research, I reached the conclusion that it isn’t our culture that we need to blame, it is the people who have shaped our minds to believe that our culture paints the ‘ideal’ feminine picture of females and masculine picture of males. Our traditions and practices were formulated hundreds of years ago and apart from honoring them, we need to ensure that none of them have been condensed to degrade a gender. This is why I have presented my research in the form of an article that may change your perspective on the relation to feminism with respect to Indian culture.
It is no secret that India is in dire need of widespread feminism, be it in society or legislative matters. Both men and women have been the victims of stereotyping and the lack of justice in cases of serious offenses and crimes such as molestation, rape, and forced marriage. It is quite ironic as to why this happens because Indian culture, often labeled as an amalgamation of several cultures, has been influenced by a history that is several millennials old, and comprises various practices and traditions that do not discriminate against any gender. However, the chief barriers to realizing gender parity in India are deep-seated cultural norms that have been shaped by sexist groups of people over the years. Millions of dollars have been poured into development programs and women’s empowerment, however, this has yet to yield significant change, particularly in regards to Indian culture. When empowerment conflicts with Indian culture, it is not well received. India’s long and diverse history makes it a country of complexities and dichotomies. While on several fronts the country is well into the 21st century, its deep-rooted traditionalism has slowed its pace on others.
It is true that in the history books written specifically on India, women have not been given enough credit for their actions; be it against the British Empire ruling the country for around 100 years or standing up to unjust practices such as child marriage, Sati and the life of a widow as an Indian widow faces discrimination and is deprived of basic facilities that each person in the nation has the right to acquire. Males, on the other hand, have been victims of toxic masculinity, lack of seriousness in cases dealing with being victims of rape, or domestic violence. A picture has been engraved in the minds of many when it comes to gender and it isn’t an ideal one. Given that the term ‘Feminism’ literally means gender equality, it is safe to say that in terms of feminism being practiced in our daily lives, we aren’t close to achieving it in India.
Time and again, historians and scholars have expressed their grief over this misleading practice of treating women as subordinates to men when both genders are compared because this isn’t taught or meant to be practiced in Indian Culture. Yes, there are a number of instances where women are meant to ‘sacrifice’ their needs for their male counterparts but most of the gender stereotypes and the fight against feminism are all in relation to the way the Indian society has turned out. Indian culture has been shaped in a way where it is disturbing for an individual who strongly advocates and supports feminism. For instance, Today, the orthodox sexist does not believe that menstruating women deserve to enter a place of worship. But our ancestors built temples in their honor. In the Kamakshi temple in Assam, a menstruating Goddess is worshipped in Hinduism. This does not mean that other religions haven’t supported menstruating women. We often notice in holy scriptures and traditions of how menstruating women are cherished in the dominant religions such as Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, etc... We also have festivals to celebrate menstruation in states like Odisha and Uttar Pradesh. Men are usually termed as the protectors of women or the leaders of a family in the Indian culture and society but we fail to notice that they too are trapped in gender binaries as much as women are—forced to be breadwinners, protectors, and perpetrators of their positional superiority. This binary is unhealthy and excludes people who don’t fit in, owing to their sexual or gender orientation—or simply, their individuality. there are feminist battles to be fought at all levels. Elements from all waves of the West feminism—legal rights from the first, social rights from the second, individual expression from the third, and online activism from the fourth—are all valid. While privileged feminists battle for the right to retain our surname after marriage, the length of our hemlines, and other ‘evolved’ issues, we’re still battling dowry, child marriage, and the right to educationt. The twain meet in strange ways—people have heard of women earning to help pay for their own dowries and males being subjected to murder (by their own family) for refusing dowry. You must be surprised to hear about such cases as you were probably brought up to assume that females are always against giving dowry and males wish to receive as much as possible. This is just an example of how twisted a holy ritual of marriage can become if we allow misogynists to shape our culture and traditions.
Apart from that, women who divorce, are often perceived as inadequate. Men, who cheat in a marriage, are expected to be forgiven. Rapists are justified and victims are asked to change their way of clothing. It is considered to be a bio-cultural tradition to give gender-based roles to men and women in a marriage and at work. Hence, even if this wasn’t taught in our culture, we are made to believe that it is in accordance with the traditions and cultural practices in India.
Excluding the six majority religions in India, there are a ton of unidentified religions along with Atheist individuals who contribute to the formation of the Indian culture as a whole. This is why we often look at Indian society and its practices to understand our culture better but we fail to see how misleading this practice can be. Religions and cultures are just a way of living, they are not a chance to mislead anyone using baseless excuses, especially in terms of gender equality. This requires the need to disrupt the system of cultural norms in India that keep women, men, transgender individuals in stereotyped images. The biggest challenge of the Indian feminist movement is to unify despite these differences, to be truly intersectional and recognize the context of each of these battles being fought —acknowledging considerations of time, place, age, religion, caste, class, economics, etc. Feminists are pushing as many boundaries as they can in their respective milieus, and we need to respect each other, provide support and share our ideals with each other to reshape the cultural norms that often degrade a particular group of people.
Works Cited List
Feminism and the Indian Man
The silly but growing belief that the Indian Culture is becoming too Feminist https://scroll.in/article/740800/the-silly-but-growing-belief-that-indian-culture-is-becoming-too-feminist-its-not
Analysis | Why India's modern women say it's a 'burden' to be female
Culture Archives
Culture of India
Religion
Challenging cultural norms is the first step towards gender parity in India
Feminism Is Indian Culture
Can Indian feminists truly engage with Hindu culture?
Hindu Feminism and Indian Society
Feminism in India: the tale and its telling
About the Author
Ridhima Purohit is currently studying in 11th grade, taking a course in physics, chemistry and biology. Her interests include Karate, dancing and writing. Something that others wouldn’t know is that caffeine doesn’t have an effect on her (doesn’t boost energy) and she is truly passionate about Environmental Science and Feminism.
Comments