Hello,
I see three components to the very serious, disturbing, and very sad reality for punjabi women- economic, civil rights, and sexual-reproductive.
Each component relates to the others, and no part can flourish without the other. But I am a glass half-full person, so I believe their is hope for change.
1. Currently, India has a booming middle class set at 300 million- that is alot of buying power of a very unique kind. The middle sector demands good and services that are ambitious enough to provide maximal benefit to them, but scaled down to meet their budgets. (ie historically, the middle class is the birth place of democracy) With this robustness, niches can be carved out... perhaps one will be for woman- hear her roar!
2. Civil rights, womens suffrage is a new concept even in the West (~100yrs), and has only been put to real practice for about 50yrs. So India is not lagging behind- 50 yrs post-colonialism, growing economic opportunity will translate into improved human rights conditions for the country's many groups.
3. Very intimately related to the suffrage movement and women's rights in general is control of her own body. This means access to contraception, birth control, abortion. Sexual/reproductive rights, more specifically pornography, was (surprisingly) very much linked in the West to women winning the right to vote. Currently, Indians do not fundamentally believe in free speech- whether it is personal, political, or sexual. There are as yet not the culture of openess- no Dr.Ruth, masturbation jokes, or more importantly an understanding that men's and women's sexuality is equal.
Again, I am hopeful that one day these rights will come to pass in India. That there will exist an Indian Playboy, and Indian CEO, and a genuine respect for a woman's legal, political, and human right to express herself as she chooses. Again, I pin my hopes on other women right movements- and hope these models prove strong enough to remove my sisters from bitter chains.
Kaur
