Women in India

Being a woman is tough. Say what you want about feminism, or equal rights, or the overt objectification of women in every medium conceivable—in the end, we can all agree that being a woman is difficult. It’s difficult even in America where women have a political voice, raise up the corporate ranks, and wield as much power as their male counterparts. I can only imagine how incredibly difficult being a woman in India is. Michaela Cross, an American student who completed a study abroad program in India wrote about her experiences with sexual harassment on CNN iReport, “India: The Story You Never Wanted to Hear.”

In her entry, Cross describes her experiences of being gawked at, objectified, and sexually harassed on the streets of India. 

"Do I tell them about bargaining at the bazaar for beautiful saris costing a few dollars a piece, and not mention the men who stood watching us, who would push by us, clawing at our breasts and groins?” she writes, demonstrating her conflicting opinions about her time in India. She describes her time in India as both “beautiful and traumatizing.” Her experiences in India eventually lead her to be diagnosed with PTSD upon returning to America. 

In the recent past, there have been many instances of violence against women in India coming to light. The deadly gang rape in New Delhi was only the tip of the iceberg; several more high-profile rape and sexual violence cases have emerged since then. The government has attempted to enforce stricter punishments and oversight in these cases, but how much success can have they had in protecting women?

Cross’s story has prompted a lot of debate. Some Indian men have taken to the Internet to apologize for her experiences in India, while other cautioned against stereotyping. Sam1967, an Indian commenter, cautioned: “I accept what happened was definitely an embarrassment and a cause of trauma for her that might haunt her for the rest of her life. But this has happened in many other countries or places and therefore it may not be the right thing to single out India."

There has to be a fundamental shift in the way women are viewed in India before they can feel safe. As long as they are thought of as weaker, less than, and an object of sexual desire, there can be no equality, and therefore no security. 

Ultimately, it may seem like a hopeless goal. It’s important to remember, however, the world progresses a little by little each day. If you change one mind—that leads to changing one more. As Mother Teresa said, “We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.”



Nivi Elango