Women Empowerment through EDUCATION

A woman is empowered because she is born so

I am neither a feminist nor male chauvinist; I am a humanist believing in equality. Equality which is not a theory, equality which is not a hypothesis, equality which is existent! I belong to the school of thought, where women are not sub-optimal to males, in any genre, where womanhood is not spent pleasing the opposite sex in ways more than one. I want empowerment of all, in a manner that gender bias is eradicated just like a disease like small pox. I distaste a society where woman is expected to leave her career to raise a child against her will to prove her maternal instinct; I do not want to be part of the society where a woman does not have the basic right to choose her path. Again I hate a society where a pretty girl enjoys extra privilege in office compared to her hard working male colleague. I am not a sexist; I just crave for an empowered society.

Gender equality

The dictionary meaning of empowerment is “to give power or authority to”, so what is the meaning of woman empowerment then? It is not rocket science to know, that it means to give rights to make choices, to give woman the power to be opinionated and liberated. But just by mere uttering these words won’t empower woman. Empowerment cannot come through a video featuring the who’s who of tinsel town, some privileged classes. It can come, only and only through the light of education. In a society like ours where the type and number of heinous crimes against woman are numerous, empowerment to make choices is a distant dream. Women hardly know their rights, leave alone exercising them. If educating the masses, including all genders is not started on a bigger scale, which only the government can do, nothing will empower woman. They will continue to get thrashed by the cruel blows of drunken husbands, completely unaware of the existence of a law that protects them. “Education” is the only way to reach anything near empowerment. And if anyone, who can afford to contribute towards the cause, don’t invest into making videos or songs, invest into constructing a school, if you genuinely have the heart for it. It is not that I am against this media hype, actually if used constructively can be impactful. But, there is but! These tools will not reach out to the ones who are not literate enough to appreciate, and those who can understand it, already know of it. Again I come back to the same point, education, education, education!

Education,the only way out

Recently a blogger friend of mine Maniparna had shared a narrative about the torture the tribal people and especially women are subjected to. Egregious is an understatement, to define the inhumanity that their bodies, mind and soul endure. A huge number give away and some are mortified survivors, I thank Maniparna for this enlightenment. Though the narrative was about a survivor it told the stories of many who could not survive the lust, inhumanity of the protectors turned goons. Empowerment is required in places like that, and not to the fortunate lots like us. Just give a thought, places where women travel miles in the scorching sun to fetch water, can empowerment be a priority? Places where teenage tribal girls are subjected to unprecedented pain for lust and fun, can the light of empowerment reach? I guess the answer is NO. Again development and Education!

Tribal women- the worst effected and least known

 I started this narrative to write about my thoughts on women empowerment, but as I went on with it I understood how far we are from it. I plead, that the Government at large and we at our levels start spreading education, teach your domestic helps, teach your sweeper and teach any interested person deprived of it. That is empowerment! And is the only path to empowerment.

Some exemplary faces

Aritra Chakrabarty Sengupta

I am a woman, a caring daughter, a loving wife and a doting mother.

I feel empowered when I am respected for my virtues.

I feel empowered when my soul is recognized and not my body.

But if the golden time of empowerment never comes and I die waiting for it.

I will still feel empowered because I am born as a woman.

Aritra