For the Indian woman of today, the sky is the limit. But there is a hitch. The country has to accept that its women need protection, says Preity Zinta.
Preity Zinta
For the Indian woman of today, the sky is the limit. But there is a hitch. The country has to accept that its women need protection. Now that women have managed to get out of the bounds of the kitchen and get empowered, it is the duty of the government to see that they are safe and secure.
It saddens me to hear about the rising crimes against our women. Not only are rapes and abuses still happening, they are growing in number. The least the government can do is come out with a stricter law to protect the woman who is not only looking after the house, but is also stepping out to play breadwinner.
Women, who are progressing on every front, might just be left behind because of these threats to their security. Fathers and husbands might be reluctant to send them out to study or work, if such a situation continues.
Just the other day, I was horrified to read about young girls being taken out of schools during lunchtime and pushed into prostitution!
It is high time the government took strict action against these people. There should be a separate system to tackle crimes against women and young girls to ensure quicker justice and encourage more victims of rape and physical abuse to come forward and lodge complaints.
On the surface we might look like a great nation galloping towards progress, but scratch the surface and you realise that the situation is becoming exceedingly difficult for a progressive woman. In spite of that, women are making a mark. I am proud of my fellow Indian women like Sheila Dixit, Kiran Bedi, Barkha Dutt, and Aishwarya Rai.
Right now, the issue is not about empowering women but protecting them. I would also like to say that the emphasis should be on education. Education of every kind should be provided to the woman of our country.
There is no point in releasing five balloons and celebrating International Women’s Day until the real issues are tackled. We need something effective to be done. For example, female infanticide is very high in the northern part of the country, where I come from. I am so worried about this that I plan to take up a project to make people aware of this crime.
On this special day, my advice to young women would be: please complete your education, because that is what will help you in times of crisis. Do not be in a hurry to get married, because I have seen my friends and realised that most problems arise from getting married too early. Once you decide to get married, make certain he is the right person because a broken marriage affects the woman and her children more than the man. And last but not the least, do not be afraid of anyone. Go for your dreams and you can achieve almost anything. Have the courage to stand up for what you think is right.
As told to Shubha Shetty-Saha
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