Made by patriarchy

While women's lack of safety is a societal problem, the state makes it worse

The fact that there exists a gender bias in a patriarchal society is beyond contest. Also the fact that it leads to unequal opportunity in all spheres is a foregone conclusion. The debate starts at the point where a perpetual cycle of subjugation begins. The stage is set. From yearning for a male child (which includes, but is not limited to, getting rid of the potential female ones), to giving him more of everything, we raise men to believe they are superior to women.

The economic might of the male is used as the most powerful weapon against women. It's an unequal playing field from the word go. Denied equal access to opportunity, women in this society are unable to match men economically, further perpetuating their inferiority complex. Women are okay with being treated as second-class citizens, and put up with everything from domestic abuse to everyday "eve" teasing to being denied equal pay for equal work. Till she is married, a woman bows to her father, thereafter to her husband her son. She goes on to raise daughters, passing on the same inferiority complex to them. At school, the cycle of unequal opportunity continues at the behest of teachers, themselves products of patriarchy.

One half of our human resource is relegated to the back benches. Certain men (I am trying to avoid generalisation) assume it is their right to tease, grope, abuse and inflict sexual violence on the opposite sex. As they would, and do, to stray animals. The fact that they do this with impunity is where the issue moves into the realm of governance. From being a societal issue of gender bias it becomes a systemic problem of governance and law-and-order. It's at this point that a patriarchal society turns into a patriarchal state.

... contd.

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