Awareness

Modern Patriarchy In A Modern World

Before discerning modern patriarchy in a modern world it is vital to know the former state in which the domination in a society was of the males and they dictated the norms of a society. The Gender word has been a helm of skirmishes in India where the oppressed is women. Gender has been a figurehead of all aspects of India be it political, social, or religious. The damnation portrayed by patriarchy is not a new concept. It has been traced back to that epoch when the monarchy was the political regime of India. The evidence is laid down by the Manusmriti which is deemed as a backbone of patriarchy. Vilification of a woman is displayed in that text which claimed women as sole dependent creatures and the baggage of surrendering to the males was entitled as the tasks of women. 

The Triple Talaq is another testimony of the deep-rooted patriarchy. This system deemed women as the sole saviours of their marital life. The distortion done by the misogynist yielded this system that empowers males to null and void marital ties whenever they want through certain words. While women were subjugated to guard the image of a family by being suppressed. Other vicious taboos that dominated Indian society were child marriage of girls, female foeticide, denial of remarriage, sati pratha, etc. The reign of patriarchy somehow underwent revolutions and wiped out the vicious taboos through the far-fetched reformists namely Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Savitribai Phule, Fatima Sheikh, Pandita Ramabai etc. 

The patriarchy was still mired on Indian soil in the post-independence period. Modern patriarchy in a modern world onlook the emancipation of women and the modern world could not digest that. Feminism in India was shaping itself to full bloom. The toil of earlier reformers triggered the emancipation of women and their existence was granted a forum to flourish. In the post-independence era, the concerning arenas in the surge of feminism were women’s rights in property, divorce, workplace sexual harassment, rape, equal pay, etc. The deplorable approach towards a woman was erased but the struggle for their just treatment is still prevalent that erects the wall of modern patriarchy in the modern world.

Image Credits: Freepik

Feminism in India was stormed prior to independence but post-independence also this struggle has become a perpetual fight.  Modern patriarchy in a modern world has subordinated females inside and outside the walls in the face of crumbled balance between household chores and working duties, property rights, domestic violence, stigmatising divorce for women, sexual harassment in the workplace, objectification of women’s bodies, etc. This array of ominous series is groaning that patriarchy is shaped as modern patriarchy in a modern world.  

Merely bemoaning as a bystander is not going to pull out justice for females. This call for peaceful reform is not only for the females, but the zestful participation of males is also a demand of an hour. If the earning task can be shared by the females by a choice, then sharing household chores will frame a balanced bifurcation. Modern patriarchy in the modern world is a situation and not a fictitious frame with biased attention. Society is reared up by empowering and emboldening everyone. Male domination is never going to yield a robust society. We concur with the fact that genders cannot be equivalent in terms of traits but equity can be developed to prevent the infringement of rights which are justified in the status of the genders. The flabbergasted scenario is women despite crowning success in sports, business, administration etc are not deemed as worthy in some houses and castles.

Modern patriarchy in the modern world will also meet its cessation when the objectification of females’ bodies is dealt with as a grave issue to discuss and take action upon. The male gaze ought to be trained to not unleash its sight. The child-rearing is another aspect that entrusts females as sole guardians of their child’s ethics, the division of this activity will open a door for females who are still not financially stable to stabilize themselves to avoid dependency on males. This juncture has the panacea of modern patriarchy in the modern world. The next step is to turn these measures into actions.

Adeena Navaid

Adeena is a student at Miranda House, Delhi University pursuing B.A Programme in Political Science and Philosophy.

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