The changing mindset

We are still a long way from an idyllic world where gender parity comes out of the closet and manifests as reality but have certainly reached a state of awareness which could slowly but surely take us there. The awareness pertains to a mind set, a conditioned thinking strengthened through the ages that needs to be changed. Empty rhetoric aside, it is only when our mindset changes that everything on the outside changes too. A recent Supreme Court judgement directing the government to make women Army Officers eligible for permanent commission in the Army coming weeks prior to the annual "women's day' celebrations is not just a' shot in the arm' for women but a strong appeal to change mindsets. "Women officers of the Indian Army have brought laurels to the force.

Their track record of service to the nation is beyond reproach. To cast aspersion on their abilities on the ground of gender is an affront not only to their dignity as women but to the dignity of the members of the Indian Army, the men and women who serve as equals in a common mission. The time has come for a realisation that women officers in the Army are not adjuncts to a male dominated establishment whose presence must be 'tolerated 'within narrow confines" justice D. Y Chandrachud had read out from the 54 page judgment on the matter. Clearly arguments that perpetuated sex stereotypes and assumptions of socially ascribed roles of gender which were discriminatory were rejected in favour of changed mindsets that batted for equality. This is a remarkable decision since a traditionally male bastion has been broken and a level playing field created with women having the same opportunities and benefits as their male counterparts in ranks, promotions, pensions and longer tenures. Lady Officers like Lt. Col. Poonam view the judgement as historic. "Our constitution is based on equality. Discrimination based on gender is against the ethos of our constitution" she avers. Whether it is the Army, policing, piloting an aircraft or driving a metro women are increasingly being driven by their interests in career choices and finding their niche. Their path may be riddled with obstacles but one has to acknowledge the fact that a path has been made where none existed. The silent revolution taking place as women from different strata of society opt for education, employment and small businesses that make them economically empowered will become amply evident a couple of years from now when several families move up the social ladder. Catalyst, a global nonprofit firm working with leading companies to build workspaces for women, notes that India has a higher percentage of women entering STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math compared to America or Europe. While 32% women in the country opt for engineering education, it is just 20% in the United States and around 28% in the European Union, their study reveals. The difference in IT education is even more stark standing at 52 % in India compared to 39% in the US, it notes. Work from home options, flexible working hours, Day- care facilities for kids at the workplace, and a host of other amenities to help women take up jobs in IT companies and startups have impacted this change but there has been a greater change in mindsets. Krishna and Jyoti, who are semi-literate and eke out a living running a small tailoring unit in Banjara Hills have two daughters who have completed their engineering and are working for Amazon. The kids who received subsidized education at a missionary school in the vicinity supplemented their parent's income through tuitions even while they studied and got a job as soon as they graduated.

One of the daughters wants to pursue her MBA after working for two years and saving enough for higher education. At their work place these girls have a level playing field competing with people from more privileged and economically higher backgrounds but they are not worried. Their father is not in a hurry to get the girls married either, and is willing to support their endeavour for a better standard of living and career opportunities. 'I want my daughters to pursue their dreams. I am not going to insist on early marriage. Let them decide what they want and I will support them whole heartedly". he says.

Raju an auto diver from Secunderabad has a daughter who has completed her B.Ed and is teaching in a well known private school. She also takes "spoken English" classes for the children in her colony after school hours. Innumerable instances of girls from lower income groups, marginalized and suppressed castes and classes and those whose parents lack formal education; choosing to pursue education and career goals are slowly becoming the norm as the value of education sinks in. Unfortunately, only stupendous achievements of toppers of UPSC, sportspersons or overnight celebrities from humble backgrounds garner media attention while the many normal jobs taken up by women overcoming abnormal obstacles go unnoticed. It is time we noticed this slow but certain change that is contributing to the emergence of educated and enlightened women who add value to the nation.

As their numbers grow we can hope to see a qualitative change in society where redundant attitudes give way to fresh perspectives and gender equality becomes a fact of life. All it requires to get there is a change of mindset. This is what we need to celebrate as euphoria becomes an annual ritual every Women's Day.

Women officers of the Indian Army have brought laurels to the force. Their track record of service to the nation is beyond reproach. To cast aspersion on their abilities on the ground of gender is an affront not only to their dignity as women but to the dignity of the members of the Indian Army, the men and women who serve as equals in a common mission. The time has come for a realisation that women officers in the Army are not adjuncts to a male dominated establishment whose presence must be 'tolerated 'within narrow confines"

- Justice DY Chandrachud

Only stupendous achievements of toppers of UPSC, sportspersons or overnight celebrities from humble backgrounds garner media attention while the many normal jobs taken up by women overcoming abnormal obstacles go unnoticed. It is time we noticed this slow but certain change that is contributing to the emergence of educated and enlightened women who add value to the nation