EDITORIAL: SEXIST MINDSETS OF INDIAN POLITICIANS

Women are succeeding in this world more each day. In the world, where they are struggling to overcome patriarchy, sexist mindsets are still roaming freely amongst Indian politicians. For centuries, Indian women have been trying to bring their status equal to that of the men. But, that doesn’t mean that they are able to live without objections from every person.

Over the years, women have been learning to stand up for themselves and take control of their lives. However, they face a lot of sexual harassment in both inside and outside the workplace. Even when they get justice, it’s almost too late. This is the perfect example of justice delayed being justice denied.

Too frequently, we see politicians making statements like “when rape is inevitable, lie back and enjoy it”, or “Boys will be boys, rape is a mistake made, will a boy be hanged for that?" A politician even said to a group of protesting nurses that the heat waves will lower their chances at marriage, or that women should wear proper clothes as they ‘excite men’, the list goes on and on. These statements show how politicians keep on defending sexist men/boys and ignoring the real problem.

Is that really how we want to be governed, by the leaders who shame women and make a joke out of rape or the kind of politicians who think that rape is a woman’s fault? Every time a woman is assaulted, why do we care about what clothes she was wearing or what time it was? Why do our leaders keep pointing out what that woman should not be doing to end up in that situation? Women get assaulted indiscriminately, no matter what clothes they are wearing or what time it is.

Why do we keep voting for people who think women are inferior to them, body shame them, and comment on what they should wear?

Indian politicians go to any lengths to win elections no matter the collateral damage. They make sexist statements about their fellow women candidates to bring them down. Even still, the leaders that promise to develop the country end up saying sexist things and getting away with it.

How long are they going to get away with it? The only way to stop these sexist people is by including the same number of women as men and not just up to certain level, but have actual power to oppose people who see women as inferior.

This is a subject that gives a lot to think about how we can handle these situations and not let anybody take advantage of the lack of accountability. Sexism is present in Indian politics and is not going anywhere if we let them get away with everything they say and do.

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#feminism #rapeculturehasgottogo #wakeup #wedeservebetter #sexism

Japgun Kaur is a staff writer at The Incandescent Review. She is a high school student and lives in New Delhi, India. She is an active participant of various Model UN clubs. She loves to write about social and political issues. Follow her instagram account @interesting.writes