Words fail me!

I read this article on The Times of India yesterday. I almost fell off my chair!! And once I started reading the comments, I was left speechless by most of them. Its not because I didn't expect such comments. Having lived most of my life in India and having seen such MCP mentality abound, this shouldn't have been a surprise to me. But it was. Maybe living in the US for the last 8 years has forced me to lose touch with the reality back home.

Should women work night shifts?
Wednesday, May 02, 2007, 4:26:00 PM

May Day celebrations are typically soporific affairs, marked by long speeches by labour leaders, platitudes by government officials and the weary resignation of a long-suffering work force. But in Bangalore this May Day at a political party function, Karnataka labour minister Iqbal Ansari dropped a bombshell of such intensity that it wouldn't be surprising if he gets blown away by the fallout. He said his government would put in place a law that ensures that women do not work night shifts from July. He believes women should not be at the workplace beyond 8 pm but exempted the IT/BPO sectors and essential services. The ostensible justification for this retrograde step is the increasing incidents of crime against women.

In a day and age when women workers are fighting to be treated on a par with their male counterparts, such legislation will put the clock back by years. Women should be able to work when they want and not be subject to such whimsical laws. For instance, women are making their presence felt in the hospitality sector which Mr Ansari, surely, would admit is a 24x7x365 industry. Such stifling laws would demean their right to equality and opportunity at the work place. Even as the rest of the world is moving towards a gender-neutral work environment, Mr Ansari's law will drive a deeper wedge between men and women. If crime is a problem, it has to be tackled at that level, by beefing up the law-enforcement machinery, not through such inane laws. If Mr Ansari thinks he can woo the woman vote with such legislation, he is sadly mistaken.

Should women work night shifts?

Resident Editor, The Times of India, Bangalore
PS: You may also SMS or email your views. Mail us on mytimesmyvoice@timesgroup.com with 'Women' mentioned in the subject line. To SMS, type MTMV, leave a space, type WOM, leave a space, type YES or No along with your name, and sms to 8888.

Comments

What the f*** does Mr. Ansari mean? That the reason crimes against women exist (and abound) in India is because women are working night shifts? Is this the only solution he could come up with for dealing with the crimes and the criminals? And he was OH SO KIND in exempting the women who work in the IT/BPO sectors and essential services. But then, how will he "protect" these women?? And if he can protect these women, can't he protect the others too? Now I am soooooooo confused. And I am sure it is because I am a woman. Oh poor me! I need to be saved from myself!! Someone else needs to pass stupid, meaningless laws to make me safe.

Male. Chauvinist. PIG. That is who I think he is. All the unpleasant memories from my growing up years came flooding back. This post came back to my mind. I am hoppin' mad!! I can't even think straight or put my thoughts into coherent words - I am SO mad. Women need to stay at home to avoid being leched at? They need to cover themselves to avoid generating lecherous thoughts in the minds of the animals prowling the streets who would snatch the dupatta off of their own sisters and mothers? They should not go out after it gets dark because it is not safe. They should not go out alone lest someone should harass them. Why, they shouldn't go out. Period.

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!! I am SO mad that words won't come to my mind.

Doesn't this sound familiar though? I grew up reading what a glorious civilization ours was. Women were respected. We weren't ashamed of nudity or of sex. We gave the world Kamasutra for goodness' sake. And then somewhere down the line, people started getting offended by exposed skin. One argument I heard/read was that men started insisting their womenfolk stay covered and in the confines of their homes to protect them from the evil eyes of the invaders. I can understand that. In those times when our country was being constantly raided by outsiders, when it was common for the invading army to destroy our homes, cities and even rape and murder women and children - and when the common man couldn't do anything against them but protect himself and his own by hiding - it would make sense.

But now our country IS NOT under attack from any outsiders. We own our country. What goes on here is now our responsibility. Good, bad or ugly - we are responsible for it. And WE are responsible for eradicating the bad and the ugly. Why is it not obvious to Mr. Ansari, as it is to many others, that stopping women from working night shifts is NOT going to stop crimes against them? Crimes against women take place in broad daylight too. And inside homes as well. To stop the crimes, you need to stop the criminals. Is it that hard to understand?? I think he is just trying to take the easy way out because the real solution to the problem is so much more difficult. That would mean the police will have to do their work. That means he will have to get rid of the corruption which allows criminals to go traipsing about without having to pay for their crimes. That also means he might have to beef up the security around the city or state to ensure everyone's safty - not just women's. That means the politicians will have to pass stronger, sensible laws and make sure they are implemented.

There are other implications to this situation. Suppose the law were passed and implemented. That would be a major blow to the progress we have made in the areas of equal employment opportunities for both sexes. Which company would hire females if there were even a 1% chance that they might need to stay back late at work to finish some project in time? Will female students even opt for subjects that might take them into fields that have uncertain hours? In that case, we will lose half the brain power rigtht there. Will parents allow their daughters to opt for such careers? There are already a lot of restrictions imposed by families that girls have to face when choosing subjects for higher studies. This will add one more restriction. What about the jobs that require travel? Will women traveling for work be considered "on job" if they are on a flight or a train after 8 pm? What if they are out of state at that time? How about positions that require one to take clients out for dinner to finalize/facilitate business deals. What about women running their own businesses? Will they have to shut their doors promptly at 8 just because they happen to have two X chromosomes and possibly lose out to their male competitors who can keep their business open till late and thus provide one more convenience to their clients?

It insults my intelligence, and I am sure every sane person's, that Mr. Ansari believes women are victims of crimes because they work night shifts. It is the same as saying that women are victims of street harassment because of the way they dress or walk or behave. It insults me that someone should think I might be responsible for some beast's crimes against me. Oh no! It is NOT their screwed up moral standards. It is NOT their criminal mentality. It is NOT the result of an impotent "society" looking the other way when such crimes are committed. It is NOT the law enforcement authorities' inability to maintain law and order. It is NOT the corruption that allows murderers and rapists to go free. It is not ineffective or insufficient laws that enable these criminals either. It... is... the... women! And Mr. Ansari, like the well-meaning super-hero he is, has taken it upon himself to deliver all of us from the clutches of evil by deciding to pass a law to MAKE us sit at home at night! Hallelujah!!