Surinder Sud’s “My farm lady” (January 13) was an eye-opener for those who continue to believe the world is run by men. In the farm sector, he says, a study shows women do double the work that men do and, if you please, thrice what bullocks do. And, this is in addition to what they do at home.
It is in recognition of the maturity and responsibility of women that, in Bangladesh, the Grameen Bank loans are given to women and not men. The same practice is now being adopted in certain microfinance pockets in India as well.
What never ceases to amaze me is that, despite all this, society continues to be run by men and the age-old practice of dowry still continues. It is equally surprising that none of our political class chooses to make as much of an issue of this as it does of, for instance, reservations for Dalits and OBCs. The Bill to reserve seats for women in the legislature would not have changed the status of women in society overnight, but it would have made a difference. Yet, even the Congress party, which is headed by a woman, has not been able to get the Bill through. Perhaps one way out is to apply the Moily formula for Parliament as well — increase the number of seats in such a manner that the number of seats available to men does not decrease. This is what broke the logjam in the case of the OBC reservation in higher education.
Sangeeta Gupta, New Delhi
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