I was born in Pennsylvania, US, and shortly after, moved to Korea. I am 17 years old. Then I moved back to the United States, this time in California. Here I attended lower and middle school. Currently, I am a high school student studying in Connecticut. I am part of the swim and golf teams, and train in dance. Recently, I went on a trip to India and enjoyed it very much. I was awestruck by the amazing, deep culture and wanted to study more. One of the most striking aspects to me was the role of women in the Indian society, which is why I have been researching this topic.
India, like almost every other country, has a long history of women’s empowerment issues, including rape and abuse towards women, perpetrated by men. In India, women may be very suppressed and are not granted the same opportunities as men. For example, only about 10 percent of people in politics are women, as opposed to the 17 percent in the US. Although both countries are lacking in this area and there is so much room for improvement, India is noticeably behind in this aspect. The government’s “laws” such as affirmative action and help for women are not doing much help. Why is this? Because the issue is deeper than that of politics. It is a social issue.
A study reported that about 1 in 6 women have been victim to successful or attempted rape, and that number must go down. But the culture has depicted women as powerless, and the men being superior. However, it is important for people to understand that this is not the case. Women can make a difference, and must not be oppressed. But how do we combat age-old social traditions? It will be a long process, but look how far we have already come. Stigma around women’s rights has been slightly lowered, and the UN introduced a body called the UN women for the progression towards gender equality. Education for young girls is also necessary, as well as education for society to help overturn the belief that women are less than men.
When I visited India a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that there were much more boys than girls at schools. Education is so crucial for success, and we must provide that same opportunity for the girls so they are equipped to deal with social traditions. I stayed in Indore and a city near the Narmada River. In the latter, I saw that mostly men were bathing in the river. A man told me that many women refused to bathe because of the stigma surrounded by their bodies. If they get wet, the women would be more vulnerable because they would be more exposed. To be confident in one’s own bodies is so crucial, and this is a part of the so-important empowerment.
I want to make sure that women in India are granted the opportunities needed to succeed, whatever that means for herself. We must start this process, starting with girls in school and doing our best to allow women to live their lives to the fullest.