Beyond the Norms

Reimagining women's roles in society.

- Dr Elsa Lycias Joel

In our society, I hear a hypocritical outcry of deteriorating traditional values when a woman walks out of her marriage. But no one raises voice or limbs in support of the larger number of financially dependent women struggling in bad marriages without rushing to get divorced.

Young and old professionals are more prone to and professional at calling off their marriages and only women continue to shoulder the blame. Divorce isn't the flavour of any season. It happens not because women are uncultured, characterless or non-religious but because they are educated, aware and have a strong sense of self-esteem.

Institution of marriage will be respected minus incompatibility, temperamental differences and intolerance. Societal and familial pressure or trepidation of being frowned upon cannot force a man and a woman to live together. Many divorces are also filled with bitterness, hostility and rancour.

When women encounter problems in our society, tackling them calls for not loud voices, processions or placards but an objective analysis of reasons which underlie them. Not by law makers and enforcers but by every other woman and citizen who adorns different roles to women in their lives.

Always, we find it too improper to mention the real cause of women subjugation, especially if it is religion or scriptures. As a result, a culture of pseudo analysis and pseudo action becomes the norm. We have been seeing and hearing expressions like 'women reservation bill', 'Nirbhaya fund', 'special woman safety programme' and so on being bandied about as part of political debates and talk shows.