I was at my mother in law's house, in a small village of Telangana. It was past 6 pm. A group of girls come singing bhajans. It was surprising for me because it was first time in my life I have seen a group of small girls going out their home un-escorted after 6 O'clock in the evening. In ,Kerala, my home state, one cannot even imagine this situation. So secluded are their girls in so famed developed state with world standard educational and health indicators. It may be a wonder to the outsiders that the public place is closed even today for a girl or a women here.
The state has succeeded in overthrowing the Brahmin domination, un-touchability etc , but failed liberate and empower its women.
Even though the society is matrilineal, patriarchal norms are dominant. The women is almost excluded from the rituals. In other states the situation is better and for every function or ritual the women are included. They have a role even in the funeral rituals. But here the women are only to cry and stay indoors during the final ceremony. Even the most beloved ones are not allowed to see the cremation ceremony.
These exclusions were very embarrassing for me as a child when my male cousins were given all the privileges and freedom. And they used to show ego to us on the basis of these undue importance given to them. Similarly in the temple festivals, the ladies are only allowed to perform pongala (the rice dish). But I can see ladies participating in the festivals carrying head gears and pots and divulging themselves in ecstasy and dances in other states.
The professions that a girl has to choose is also dictated by the society. They are seen suited to teaching and care giving professions. This can be reason for the overwhelming number of the Malayali nurses and teachers working in other parts of India and outside India.
Even when women are venturing into male dominated fields such as politics, there are always considered as subordinate. Kerala have not yet had a woman chief minister or in other crucial ministries of home and finance.
The missing women from the public spaces can be seen as another form of discrimination that is manifested in worst form of missing girl children.
The state has succeeded in overthrowing the Brahmin domination, un-touchability etc , but failed liberate and empower its women.
Even though the society is matrilineal, patriarchal norms are dominant. The women is almost excluded from the rituals. In other states the situation is better and for every function or ritual the women are included. They have a role even in the funeral rituals. But here the women are only to cry and stay indoors during the final ceremony. Even the most beloved ones are not allowed to see the cremation ceremony.
These exclusions were very embarrassing for me as a child when my male cousins were given all the privileges and freedom. And they used to show ego to us on the basis of these undue importance given to them. Similarly in the temple festivals, the ladies are only allowed to perform pongala (the rice dish). But I can see ladies participating in the festivals carrying head gears and pots and divulging themselves in ecstasy and dances in other states.
The professions that a girl has to choose is also dictated by the society. They are seen suited to teaching and care giving professions. This can be reason for the overwhelming number of the Malayali nurses and teachers working in other parts of India and outside India.
Even when women are venturing into male dominated fields such as politics, there are always considered as subordinate. Kerala have not yet had a woman chief minister or in other crucial ministries of home and finance.
The missing women from the public spaces can be seen as another form of discrimination that is manifested in worst form of missing girl children.
6 comments:
I do concur with your thoughts. In our place even in cities people blame women if they are not back at before 7 pm. But males have given full freedom to roam around wherever they want on late night. I observed this is a biggest problem in IT industry that people pressurize ladies to reach home early and because of this they are not able to display their skills as their male counterpart. And later on they say women are far behind gents in technical skills.
I cannot stop myself talking about the male cousin domination happened in our family. We had faced plethora of insults on different aspects.According to our family only males have technical skills,intelligence etc.
Also it is general mentality that majority of people want to see women either as nurses or teachers.
Ya that is what my poem 'The Women' also says. She only is blamed for all the outcomes the discrimination of past and present did to her.
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