I agree it's a matter of perception and something which stands like a concrete notion as an individual thinking because women and their pride is a subject which is overtly sensitive and opens a new channel of argumentative ideals and beliefs. But, what remains a question is the extent of acceptance and actual transpiration of women emancipation. Has the world truly molded into a flexible cast of equality and respect or are these concepts of gender parity still a farce? Now this is something which stirs a new idea of semi emergence of equality which lacks uniformity and standardization.
Taking example of a country like India which has a trail of outstanding events which have led to the present stature of women in India. The ride was not uniform and women underwent various treatments under the multitude of reigns and rules. Where there was equality blooming in the ancient past of Harappa and Mohenjodaro civilizations, the Aryan rule experienced a completely contrasting outcome. Then came the later rules of emperor Asoka and the Mauryan civilization where women again gained there lost status and even the mughal rule had instances of a strong hold of women. Till the time India came under the British throne, things started taking a plunge and worsened the scenario. After independence, the status again reformed as the law ensured to bring women out of their pulled curtains and make them stand independent in all aspects and dimensions. The situation in the sixties and seventies was better than before but still stood on a shaky threshold though we had a woman prime minister and women venturing into fields earmarked for men like pilots and doctors and engineers.
Film industry bloomed with the influx of beautiful and talented actresses and musicians. But by the onset of 90s things drastically changed. Women came out in open and the credit would, to an extent, be given to the laws passed effectively by the government of India. Women became the bread winners of their families, started walking hand in hand with men in all professional arenas and achieved a status which was never accomplished before. This period also delivered a golden period of global Indian success when women like Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen won international beauty pageants which changed the perspective of the world about Indian women. Later in that period itself, a consecutive success came to pageant winners 5 times, in succession. By the beginning of the new millennium people started believing and were convinced about women in India, as they crossed all bounds of social and hierarchical stigmas and developed a new niche of modern Indian women. Now, the concept of women development is known throughout, but are women really walking miles or is it an illusion? Have we ever looked behind the doors of the modern metropolitan woman who drives her own car and runs her multinational company?
She is still tormented and tortured, if not physically then emotionally. They are still subjected to marital disputes, in-law pressure, a drunkard husband and in a nutshell a devastation of life. But what has changed is the voice. Women today have understood the relevance of self dependency and have become tremendously vocal about their choices, decisions and ideas. They know what they want and thus they endeavour and strive to accomplish the aim. Unlike the women of the past, the modern Indian woman has learned to say no if she wants to, be it her husband or her family. She walks with determination now and that's one of the primary reasons which has led to the unimaginable growth of educated women in India. Starting from politics to the armed forces, women in India have done it all.
Now I referred in the beginning to something called semi emergence of equality which is an outsource of two aspects, the group of people who believe women are given all rights and to an extent men are deprived these days, and the population which still vouches for women liberty and emancipation. Now this is a half world situation which creates two groups of opposite ideals which do not let us analyze the present situation of women, but also creates a kind of dispute between the two poles of women digression and development.
Its very difficult to state the present day scenario, but coming back to the pageants, as I began, they are forums to strengthen women to come out of their society made shackles and portray to the world how special they are and to an extent its also a platform to make them realize their own significance.
As the popular quote says "beauty with a purpose", that's what are Indian women…and that is what is their true definition.
