The primary argument of such groups is that their community sentiments and pride are hurt and the honour of ‘their’ women is at stake. Even though at an individual level many women break the glass ceiling, and are encouraged to do so and gain political power, women as a gender remain unequal. They have to fight either through collective actions led by women’s groups or through courts of law to get the privileges that men have from birth. Women’s groups, thus, should be at the forefront of the movement for dissent, cultural freedoms as these are lined to participatory democracy. The truth is that acts of violence and threats, especially through vigilante groups, are deeply embedded in power inequalities.

Source: Hindustan Times November 30, 2017 12:56 UTC