It is not a secret that there are many Indian women facing sex issues, discrimination, and generally poor living conditions. Is there any way to stop this problem? What are some of the most common issues these women have to go through on a daily basis?
What Is Indian Women’s Current Situation?
A person has to be living under a rock to not be aware of the struggles of Indian women. The situation in this Asian country is far from ideal, and we keep seeing news about horrible things that keep happening there. At the same time, the problem is so deep that it often seems like an impossible task trying to make lives better for women in India.
One of the main problems is inequality. A woman in India is not worth as much as a man, at least according to the beliefs of the country. If we take a look at literacy, for example, 65% of women are literate, while men are at 82%. This is just one of many examples that show the gap between genders in this country.
Indian Women Are Forced to Reach High Expectations
The next problem that women face is having to battle unrealistic expectations. There are so many things expected from a woman in India. The first thing that is rather important for many people in India is marriage. You are probably aware of arranged marriages, and for many parents, it is the number one priority.
Whether they are blinded by tradition or something else, this puts a lot of pressure on a woman. The girl might not want to get married, but people in India will not care. At the same time, she is expected to know how to cook, do work around the house, give birth to gazillion children, and so on. Marital rape is rather common in India, too, and it is just another problem on the list.
Of course, women here are not to blame. It is not easy breaking the mold that has been around for such a long time. And no one wants to disappoint their parents.
Arranged Marriage Is Still Practiced
As we briefly mentioned before, arranged marriages are still common in India. In the entire subcontinent, arranged marriages represent the majority of all marriages even today. And it seems strange. In media, literature, and nearly everything, love is celebrated. There are movies and TV shows about love, but the country still ignores it when it comes to real life.
What matters here is that women are quite often the victim of physical and sexual abuse in these marriages. Domestic violence is nothing new in India, and it is not easy to avoid it. When people are forced to be together thanks to tradition, there is a chance that they might not be a good fit. And in India, divorces are quite rare. When people marry, they do it for life.
So, imagine spending an entire life with someone you didn’t even know before the marriage.
Discrimination and Sexist Remarks Always Happen
India has such a huge problem with gender inequality. And the problem is that gender inequality mostly affects women in this country. They have fewer chances to get the necessary education, and women working are also placed at a disadvantage. Of course, there are laws to prevent rape, adultery, dowry, and others, but these practices still remain an alarming issue in India.
Discrimination spreads out to all stages of life. Women face it throughout their lives, and we already mentioned the inequality when it comes to education. The majority of women work in agriculture, and the wage gap is more than present. It mostly comes down to the area you are checking out, but in some places, men earn almost twice as much as women for the same position.
Men see women as inferior, and it affects almost every single aspect of the country. As a result, it is not easy for women in India to fight for their rights, voice their concerns, or improve their lives in any way. Sexual violence, gang rapes, and other forms of sexual harassment are everyday problems for all women in this country.
Indian Women Are Objectified
Men and women are far from being equal in India. And while it’s almost normal for an Indian woman to be objectified and to experience sexual assault, this is not the end of the problems. It is concerning that women objectify themselves as well. The problem is so deep in the entire society, that many women use it as a way to make their lives easier.
In some cases, they will see themselves as a filler or a possible solution to family problems. In other cases, it is a way to pay up the debt or make everything a bit simpler. And this is an issue that affects the entire country. The simplest way to eliminate the problem would be to focus on education and ways to improve the lives of so many people in India.
People need to understand the importance of gender equality and do their best to eradicate the problem once and for all. But the mentality of so many men in India is stuck in ancient history. They believe that they are better than women and that someone owes them something. And this won’t change until they are ready to make the difference themselves.
Sexual Harassment and Rape Are Common
It is no secret that women can’t feel safe in this country. For many, the best option is to stay at home and at least have some sort of peace. And the worst thing about rape and sexual harassment in India is that no one is safe. Children as young as five are being raped all over India, and no one cares about it to stop it once and for all.
In fact, rape is the fourth most common crime in India, and almost every single woman in this country has gone through some form of sexual harassment. If we take a look at the daily situation, there are over ninety rapes each day, and the worst thing is that the vast majority of all cases are committed by lunatics known to victims.
While rape is still a crime in India, it doesn’t seem that the country is working hard enough to eradicate the problem, and it remains one of the worst places in the world for women today.