Are we really Heading towards Women Empowerment?

One of the most highlighted provisions introduced by the new Companies Act, 2013 of India is the mandatory inclusion of at least one woman director to the board of every prescribed class of company in India. It is being applauded by one and all as an innitiative to empower women enabling them to contribute to nation building on a better platform. It is pertinent to notE that our women have always contributed to nation building, be it home or workplace,they have been a vital source of energy. Their sincerity and dedication has paved the way for the progress and prosperity of the country. The disturbing question however remains , will they be allowed to exercise power fearlessly?, i.e. the way their male counterparts do or will they be contradistinguished?

Is the society ready to look at women in the same way as they look at men or will our women have to wear a cloak of sweetness and purity to be appreciated and excepted in the so called positions of power. Will society ever stop being judgemental about young woman in corridors of power? The fact is that women are still singled out and treated in a secondary manner when it comes to assigning responsibilities and giving credit.

The most famous and powerful have been molested and degraded by colleagues and subordinates without fear or shame. We need to delve deep into the mindset of the people who are not able to treat them at par. The Constitution may have granted us equality sixty-five years back but we still live in an era where women are asked to come up, to compete, to work along but when she reaches a dominating position she is shunned, often satirized or pulled down and asked to testify her character and certify her chastity every now and then. Do we really do so for the male members enjoying similar position or power.

Right to life mentioned in our Constitution includes the right to live with dignity. The question remains whether the parameters of dignity are same for men and women? If I have a right to eat or drink, I have a right to decide what I want to eat or drink. You cannot say that women cannot eat fish or drink beer however men can do so. So if a male director drinks and lets himself loose on "baby doll mein sone di" in a private party and it is considered fine then why when the female director of the same company does so, she needs to pass the test of morality the next morning. Some say that as long as a woman does not cross the so-called contors of modesty and humility, she finds place in the corridoors of governance but as soon as she tries to display her equality or wants to grab an equal share of flesh he sends tremmors to all. She is mocked, radiculed and often potrayed in bad light. Irony is that this is done not only to warn this woman but all those aspiring to carve a niche for themselves in this man's world. It is applaudable that in a recent ruling, the honorable Supreme Court reiterated the dignity of women and held it to be "sacrosanct".

Section 509 of Indian Penal Code lays punishment for insulting the modesty of a women or intruding into her privacy. The mindset of the society needs to undergo a radicle change in order to accomplish equality in socity in the true sense. Empowerment comes with acceptance. Seggregation poses a hurdle to acceptance . So if we want to see women empowerment in the real sense, we need to transform the attitude of the people. The ladder of power and freedom cannot be made of wood and steel for men and plastic and paper for women. Each one of us will need to climb the same ladder if we want equality.

Roopali,

B.A,L.L.B(gold medalist),

L.L.M.

roopaliadvocate@gmail.com