If discrimination at work is not enough, women face a high level of sexualized harassment, abuse and violence everywhere in the form of domestic violence, rape, female infanticide, etc. In 2015 alone there were a total of 34,600 reported rape cases in India with Madhya Pradesh and the Capital city, New Delhi being the top cities with highest rates of reported rapes (The Indian Express, 2016). Women are represented in adverts and the media as sex objects and victims, rather than individuals with ambitions and ideas. Children in India are imprinted with limits imposed on them by gender stereotypes.
On top of this, the child sex ratio in India is getting skewed to dangerous levels and the latest government data raises serious concerns about this matter. In a period of two decades (1991 – 2011) India has lost 2.55 crore of its girls to infanticide.
There are huge controversies and contradictions on the female infanticide cases reported and filed under the government to an extent that raises several questions about the state of Indian women (DNA Daily News & Analysis, 2016). For a nation represented as a female gender: “Bharat Matha”, we sure are on the opposite spectrum when it comes to equality and safety for women.
Equality for women is not yet a reality in any country around the world, but VOW movement aims to make India to be among the first countries to make equality for women a reality, thus benefiting every citizen of our nation irrespective of their gender.
A more diverse legislative assembly would make better decisions and solve problems more effectively, because it would be able to draw on a wider range of experiences when examining new laws. It would also build and restore public faith in Parliament that is crucial to the future of our democracy.
Our schools and universities would not only keep girls on the path to academic success, but play a significant role in challenging gender stereotypes – not least on the subjects they take – and in shaping the values and attitudes of all young people.
While we need the authorities to support victims of violence in rebuilding their lives, report crimes and make sure perpetrators are brought to justice, education could also help make sure sexual violence doesn’t happen in the first place.
VOW movement will work to finally bring an end to the injustices women still face and to unleash the enormous potential women have to offer, to the benefit of everybody. VOW movement will also show that gender equality is easier to get to than we think.
VOW movement believes in taking the step towards change –today, instead of waiting for change to happen.
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