Is Feminism on the Rise in India?

chillibreeze writer — Suparna Chawla

In a man’s land, a woman either lives with being an aberration, or she fights for what is hers—her freedom and rights which are restricted, confined, limited and in every sense subjugated by the patriarchal system and are thereby incumbent on it.

Women in every sphere of their lives face opposition and criticism. Constantly, they are reminded that their status is below that of a man. Human rights and equality are constitutionally provided, but when it comes to the territory of home or for that matter work, these rights cease to exist and protect a woman’s integrity and body.

The feminist movement, though subjected to scrutiny and criticism, seeks to uplift women in their entirety rather than in fragments. Though India has emerged as an independent nation, the cause of female emancipation still seems to be in its nascent stages.

The history of the Indian woman is one that has witnessed some grave assaults. In fact, Sati, child marriages, segregation of widows and intermittent sexual exploitation still exist in certain parts of the country.

The woman has always existed on the margins of human existence, assuming gender-specific roles in the periphery of a circle that centers on the man. The feminist movement in India has to an extent modified the current scenario and subdued the belligerent attitude of men towards women.

At least in the modernist culture, women have been able to overcome the insipid status given to them by men. The feminist movement has helped them reach their true identity.

Feminism has rightly appropriated their cause from the very beginning when the fight was only for suffrage, work, equality of opportunities, reproductive rights, and against female feticide, sexual harassment, domestic violence etc.

Compared to the west, women empowerment and independence in India is seen in a different light. The rise of feminism can be traced back to the 1800’s when social evils like Sati were practiced.

Later, during the era of Indian independence, women of all cultures and castes forsook and abandoned their families and homes for the independence of the nation. Some prominent women leaders of the time were Kadambini Ganguli, Bhikaji Cama, Sucheta Kriplani and Sarojini Naidu.

In the contemporary scenario, writers and social activists like Amrita Pritam,
Sarojini Sahoo and Madhu Kishwar have foregrounded women’s sexuality and have inextricably linked it with the dominant patriarchal modes of living and existence.

The most striking feature of Indian Feminism is that women are called to emancipate and liberate themselves in the sphere of their relations and families. Indian feminists do not seek mere rebellion; rather, the search is for a system where they can be who they want to be, without anybody raising their eyebrows.

Although the goal has not yet been achieved, there is a very sincere concern that has been raised by this wave of feminism. Feminism is not an insular term—its connotations reach beyond being a woman to an appreciation of who and what a woman is, her essence and her gravitas.

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Suparna writes for chillibreeze.

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