THE IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN IN NATION BUILDING

ABOUT HALF THE MANKIND CONSISTS OF WOMEN BUT THEY CONT TO BE TREATED AS SECOND SEX ALL OVER THE WORLD.IT”S A MAN”S WORLD EVERY WHERE.SHE CONT TO BE PLAY SECOND FIDDLE TO MAN.ECONOMICALLY,SOCIALLY SEXUALLY THEY HAVE BEEN BORN TO OBEY,TO CARRY OUT ORDERS.AS MOTHER,WIFE,AND DAUGHTER-IN FACT,IN ANY ROLE SHE MUST HAVE MAN”S PROTECTION AND WITHOUT HIM SHE IS NOTHING.

IN INDIA LARGE NO OF WOMEN ARE STILL STEEPED IN IGNORANCE,SUPERSTITION,POVERTY AND DISEASE IN SPITE OF DEMOCRACY AND INDEPENDENCE.MUSLIM WOMEN IN INDIA AS IN MANY OTHER COUNTRIES ARE PARTICULARLY IN A DIFFICULT POSITION,THEY HAVE TO SUFFER BOTH VEIL AND POLYGAMY.EVEN IN GREAT BRITAIN WHICH LEADS THE WORLD IN LIBERAL THOUGHT AND EDUCATION,WOMEN ARE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST NOT ONLY IN ENTERING CERTAIN PROFESSIONAL BUT ALSO IN CONTINUING TO WORK AFTER MARRIAGE ON GROUNDS OF DOMESTIC DIFFICULTIES.

THIS THINGS HURTING EVERY WISE PERSON,TIMES HAVE CHANGED,THE PICTURE IS NO LONGER ALL THAT BLEAK.

Aristotle, the father of Political Science had said that state is a “union of families and villages”. Family is the basic unit of society, which is the foundation of state itself. Happy families create a healthy society and healthy society is a pre-requisite of strong political order in democratic societies.

A woman is an architect of society. She establishes the institution of family life, builds the home, brings up the children and makes them good citizens. Her strength in totality contributes in the making of an ideal family, ideal society and an ideal state.

The question is as to how secure a woman is in her family and society (I”ll talk of Punjab) and what is her socio-economic and political status. The position of women in any society is the indicator of health of the state.

The Census data of 2001 reveals that the society has closed its door for the birth of female child. The declining ratio between male and female child is ringing a warning bell . The culture of free media has reduced a woman to be a commodity.

The increasing incidents of domestic and social violence, eve-teasing, rape and kidnappings, selling off our daughters to foreign-lads, costly state of education and marriage of daughters and drug addiction in Punjabi youth is a serious threat to the fair sex.

After 60 years of independence, the desired goals have still to be achieved. The ground realities still seem to be hostile to them. It has become essential for women to be politically empowered to achieve socio-economic justice.

It has rightly been said who holds the purse holds the nation. As the women are better half of the nation, they deserve better share in political power. The male-dominated political parties and legislatures in the country do not bear with their equal number in representative institutions.

The male Parliamentarians have not allowed the Women Reservation Bill to be passed of Parliament for many years. The women in Parliament bought over by promises of giving adequate representation to them in elected bodies without reservation but when the elections near females are kept at bay.

The criteria made for their selection is not their merit but political background of their fathers, husbands or brothers. The annual results of school, college, university or competitive exams show that girls always outshine the boys.

What we lack is “political will” to understand the importance of women’s role in nation building and all avenues open to them to get political power.

If we look at the representation of women in the Parliament since independence, the inequity will be more than evident. It seems there is a long march ahead for them in political arena. In 1952 only 4.4 per cent of women could make it to the Lok Sabha. Similarly 5.4 per cent in 1957, 6.8 per cent in 1962, 5.9 per cent in 1967, 4.2 per cent in 1971, 3.4 per cent in 1977, 7.9 per cent in 1980, 8.1 per cent in 1984, 5.3 per cent in 1989, 7.2 per cent in 1991, 7.2 per cent in 1996, 9 per cent in 1999and 8.2 per cent in 2004 women could get representation in this apex body of our country.

MEN Should realize the power of women,And women should also realize their power too,what they can do for them,for their family,for their nation.They are the building blocks of nation building,In the words of Martin Luthar KIng,”A mother’s place is inside her home,But she should also make certain,she gets outside that home enough to help worth while crusades and actively mould the country her children will live in.She therefore holds a key position and her role in shaping the fate of the nation must be recognized and respected.

This we see that a woman occupies a vital position in family,society and it is time we recognised and respected her ability.

Much more needs to be done in this direction. Political parties should increase the number of educated women in the primary membership of their parties. More and more educated women should be given party tickets to contest elections. The women too should not hesitate anymore to jump into the political field.

They should not search for the role models but try themselves to be role models in politics. It would be of no use giving equal share in parental property unless the social set-up is changed. That can be changed only by sincere implementation of laws made for women. A woman is shakti, the natural energy. The most ancient scriptures say that without the female power, it is not possible for humankind to survive. The female power has been the force behind all the great leaders of the world. Therefore, they must be politically empowered. The writing is on the wall – the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.