Women and their Rights

From the end of time, women have been fighting for gender

equality. The “Women’s Suffrage Parade” in Washington DC

during the 19th century, particularly aimed to grant women the

right to vote by law in local and national elections. In 1975,

women in Iceland were underpaid and underrepresented in the

government. Therefore, a strike called the “Women’s Day Off”

was held, demonstrating the crucial significance of women in

society. According to various sources, 90% of the female

population did not engage in various household activities.

You might think that our advancement in technology would also

lead to progressive minds, but that is where we are all wrong. A

well-developed nation such as the US has been imposing

restrictions on the sexual and reproductive health aspects of

women. Now, as we speak, there are women out there, in

different parts of the world, fighting for basic rights such as

abortion. The protest in Poland dating back to October of 2016,

was held against proposing a ban on abortion and a prison

sentence of five years for women going through with the

procedure along with the doctors who provided assistance. The

law pressurises decisions on behalf of women in the name of

democracy.

On the 16th of September 2022, Mahsa Amini, a twenty-two-

year-old Iranian woman died due to the brutality of the morality

police for “improperly” wearing her hijab. Innumerable mobs of

people who were protesting for her cause were also fatally

injured. In our very own country, Dalit women often face

extreme forms of harassment and violence.

We often find ourselves turning to the law for protection,

instead, their actions have proved how detrimental they can be

to women. Everything ranging from female genital mutilation,

female foeticide, child marriages, and human trafficking to

domestic violence and homicide; women and girls, continue to

face these issues daily.

The 2012 Delhi Gang Rape and Murder Case, commonly

known as the “Nirbhaya Case”, involved the rape and assault of

Jyothi Singh, in Munirka, a neighbourhood in South Delhi. The

case was put out into the spotlight which sent chills throughout

the nation due to the triggering details of the incident.

These are the times when women are supposed to grow, learn,

teach and train in various disciplines, but here we are, fighting

for basic rights; rights such as the freedom to walk alone at

night without the anxiety of “what might happen?” reeking over

us, or the right to wear whatever one desires without the fear of

being judged or objectified. The right to education and the right

to have a say in our careers and jobs. The right to equal

representation in various positions of the government or the

right to simply not bear children if one simply does not feel like

it.

We, as a society, should understand that women have roles that

go far beyond basic gender norms. Women have the capability

to perform anything they put their mind to, to the fullest of their

ability, in turn producing results of high efficiency and

proficiency. They are instrumental in moulding and shaping

society for the betterment of the human race.