Happy International women's day!

I was flipping through "me" issue 18/Feb/07 a weekly/biweekly magazine by DNA. Suddenly, my eyes caught an article describing the plight of "Afghanistan women" during and post Taliban era on page 37. (I am mentioning the page no. as to make it clear that the article was on the right hand side page of the magazine.)

As I read through the heavily worded a article which used words like “self-immolation”, “gifts” and “rape” with reference to women and “misogynists” with “Afghanistan”.( I have yet to find out what the word means!) ,. My eyes rolled over to the left of the page…

It showed model Saberi Dasgupta, wearing a yellow coloured mini-skirt, ( if you asked me it looked as if she has wrapped a pillow towel around her) and a belt which was one- third to one fourth of the breadth of towel, oh sorry, skirt, with her bare hands covering or rather trying to cover her bare breasts. (Or was she just massaging it!). Her hair do appeared as if someone had just given her an electric shock, or may be she hadn’t seen a comb for ages or may be both. That’s how Ms. Saberi Dasgupta presents “her version of gold with stunning stone studded belt over a stretch mini skirt and a gold bare body!” Am I, being cynical? You can decide for yourself!

Then a thought came to my mind…Isn’t the position of women in India or for that matter in world quite the same? Given the chaos that is there in Afghanistan, won’t we do the same?

“No” if you say so, then, “My dear” you need to do some serious soul searching. Aren’t women are primarily considered as “Sex Object” or slaves that do our house work. And all her qualities are of secondary importance!!!

If it isn’t so, then can somebody tell me why do we accept videos of short, stout and may I add ugly man like “Adnnan Sami”going around with “sensuous women” but not there is not a single video (as far as I can remember) which depicts say “Johnny Depp” or “John Abraham” paired opposite “Guddi Maruti”, why does they always have to be cast “Kiera Knightly” and “Bipasha Basu” respectively. Why do we always hear that some hot diva tying knot to a multimillionaire who is old enough to be her father but not the opposite?

Why do we always primarily look for women who can cook, is beautiful when we go for a match? Why do we look at the guys pay check and not his receding hairline when we go for a groom? Why do even in matriarchal tribes, women are awarded (financially) to bear 12 or more children? Is women a child producing factory? Why do we still commit honour crimes? Why is it that it is always the women who is depicted as the housewife or euphemistically called home maker and man the bread owner?

Now, the point to ponder is inspire of being, a so called, modern society, the position of women has remained more or less the same over the centuries, only our hypocrisy, has grown and so the, depiction of the women ( read “inferior sex” ) has become much more subtle. The women still, and still, remains, essentially an object of “carnal desire”. Something that can be manipulated, suppressed and moulded to satisfy every whims and fantasy of the male counterpart. She is still put up to be claimed as a trophy in the male dominated chauvinistic world.

Happy International women's day! Is anyone listening?