“So long you do not achieve social liberty, whatever freedom is provided by the law is of no avail to you” -B.R. Ambedkar

In the constitution and civil laws, all Indians have been given equal rights. Yet, in corporate, government and policy making spaces, women are under-represented even after 75 years of independence. The cruelty and violence against women are still happening around us, with only a small percentage of these incidents being reported.

Even though we have seen a woman PM and a few other important women policy makers, India has been a male dominated society where women have been excluded from the equal opportunity of education, prevented from making independent choices about their lives.

Even after recent improvements, the female literacy rate in India falls way short of the male literacy rate in many states. The female labour force participation in India is very low and falling. This leads to reduced economic independence of women which acts like a glass ceiling to India’s social liberty. There have been a few cracks at it but not enough to shatter it.

“There can be no liberty unless there is economic liberty” -Margaret Thatcher

True change needs to come from within and this can only be brought about by education and awareness like the “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” campaign, launched by the Government of India, to address the issue of the declining child sex ratio due to preference for the male child, and enhance women empowerment.

Until this awareness spreads to the remotest corners of the country, there has to be concerted effort at every level to ensure right to education, gender equality and diversity in decision making areas, equal pay and higher participation of women in jobs.

Not many know that the Tata SUV assembly line in Pune, is entirely “manned” by an all women workforce. In tomorrow’s India, this should not be a news but a normal case.

To sum up, women’s liberty is not only the right thing for India, it is a must for the country to move ahead.

Written by: Rupsa Bhattacharjee
Class: VIII A