As India gets ready to mark its 79th Independence Day, the country will recall the freedom fighters who have made sacrifices and died in the quest for freedom. But in the midst of patriotic urge, a hard question remains are India’s women really free?
For most women, the reply is a reluctant “no.” Concern for safety is an everyday fact. “I don’t think we are entirely independent or given equal treatment. The fear is always present when traveling anywhere in India. What is independence if we can’t make our own decisions and voice our opinion?” asks Sneha in conversation with NewsX.
Financial Freedom Still Out of Reach for women
As women advance in education and work, economic independence is still at stake. Pay disparities continue, wages are withheld, and a number of women continue to get less pay than men doing the same job. For others, being breadwinners comes without the safety net of a steady income.
Radhika Yadav’s case and her father’s ego
The recent killing of tennis player Radhika Yadav by her father has brought the gender dynamics and control of economic resources back to center stage. According to police, Deepak Yadav murdered Radhika following arguments over her coaching activities and jibes that he was living off her earnings. The case caused widespread indignation at the societal unease surrounding women’s pay.
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Freedom to Choose a Partner Under Threat
Article 21 of Indian Constitution says all adult women are entitled to marrying the man of their choice regardless of religion or caste. Still, “honour” killings kill people.
In Greater Noida, 23-year-old Neha Rathore was reportedly strangled by her father and brother a day after marrying her boyfriend against her family’s wishes. The body was swiftly cremated to erase evidence. Her “crime” marrying a man from another community.
Violence Behind Closed Doors
Domestic violence is yet another proof of women’s incomplete independence. In Kerala’s Thrissur district, pregnant Faseela, 23, was discovered hanging at her husband’s house on July 29. Her family complains of abuse over several years, attested to by WhatsApp messages she sent prior to her death. Police have detained her husband and mother-in-law.
In Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, 27-year-old Ridhanya took her own life after reportedly being harassed for dowry by her husband and in-laws. Even after a dowry of 100 sovereigns of gold and a Volvo car worth ₹70 lakh, she was subjected to non-stop abuse proving that money cannot prevent women from violence either.
This Independence Day, while the tricolour flies high around the nation, the true yardstick of freedom will be the day when all women can walk without fear, work without prejudice, marry without brutality, and live without harassment.
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