It has always been the woman who suffers. When a girl child
is born, it is the woman’s fault? When the food seems tasteless because of
someone else’s foul mood, it is the woman’s fault? When it comes to clothes,
women have restrictions. Women have bounds even in the work field. Even when it
comes down to the customs of society, it always keeps the woman at fault. The
taboos for women are ridiculous and biased. The customs tend to make women
completely ostensible.
It is said that now the world observes equality in society.
But in such cases, equality crouches into a dark corner and refuses to
resurface again for a long time.
In the ancient times, women were subject to a lot of
dominance. Evident from the sonnets and other literary pieces written by
Spenser, Sidney and many other writers, the woman of the society did not have
any independence. The chastity of character was one thing which was stressed
upon and, is stressed upon even now. But the definition of chastity then was
highly unreal. Once a woman was married, she was not even allowed to look at
any other man, be it some elder in her family. The woman was meant to be confined
within the household. The Victorian notion of 'angel in the house' pressurized women
even more. Paintings done by biased painters, ‘Madonna’ by Michelangelo for instance, created
certain nuances to be fulfilled by a woman to be considered perfect. The result
was that the society ended up creating ostentatious creatures in the form of women;
frail creatures not fit to survive in the rough and tough world outside.
What the world needs to remember is that parallel to the
ancient society were also women who were powerful than even the strongest of
men. The ‘Amazonian Women’ are legend in themselves. No one knew what happened
to them. Some say they were killed through conspiracy as they were too strong
to be fought face-to-face.
Let us move forward in time to the present day society. Women
are still subjugated under numerous irrational customs. The girl child is still
killed at birth. A woman is not safe out in the streets after sunset. Why? Just because some men think themselves to be superior and so,
they go about torturing the woman. There are many more instances.
The society needs to learn that even the woman can be
independent and mature like men. Maybe women can do even better in some
fields. People forget the most important fact – how can they undermine the one
who gives life, the woman?