‘Urban Women Are Routinely Subjected To Step-Motherly Treatment In Office’. A look at Hyderabad’s current crime records evokes a frightful reaction: Ab Dilli Dur Nahi (Now, Delhi isn’t too far away).
At least when it comes to cases of brutalities inflicted on its women, the city seemstobefastcatching up withits north Indian ‘counterpart’. Every 24 hours or less, a heinous case of rape, molestation, domestic violence or eveteasing is heard streaming in from some part of the metropolis, predictably, fanning fears among its fairer’ populace, of being the potential next victim.
But falling prey to physical assault isn’t the only trauma that Hyderabad’s women seem to be constantly living in. There is the fright of discrimination and disrespect that they are found battling, almost every day – it is the humiliation of being branded ‘second class citizens’.
Be it in full public view or within the four walls of a corporate office the urban lot of young women from the city, often despite their many degrees and accomplishments, are routinely subjected to such step-motherly treatment at the hands of mana janata. If house owners are found shutting their doors on single working women, almost implying that all unmarried girls are immoral, waiters at many restaurants (plush or otherwise) are seen giving the cold-shoulder to their female guests, unless of course they are accompanied by a man –theonly human perhapsworthy of their respect.
Worse, despite its rich Muslim population, roughly 40 per cent (as per 2011 census), a woman in burqa is scoffed at even today or plainly ignored in a crowd. Even in the professional space, her growth is seldom encouraged. Reason? Her ‘alleged’ conservative background.
“Only recently I was taken off a project because my team leader assumed that I would not be able to put in the required number of hours (about 12) at work. While he tried to justify his move with the clichéd ‘I am concerned about your security’ excuse, I was far from amused. Also because he did take two other girls on board,” said Tabassum Khan, a software employee, attributing thisdiscrimination totheblackburqa that she drapes over her salwar-kameezeverydaytowork. “My teammates rarely interact with me as they think I come from an orthodox family. While it is clearly otherwise, I do not see just why I should be explaining myself to anybody,” the techie added.
Similar instances of prejudice hit Suman Gupta, a new ‘migrant’ in Hyderabad, when she recently went on a home-hunting spree. Not satisfied with her qualifications, career details or even family background, most house owners refused to rent out to the 28-year-old spinster. Gupta had clearly not imagined that being fiercely independent could actually work against her someday.
“While driving in the city, I am often more concerned about being barraged with comments (for being a woman driver) than meeting with an accident. There have been various occasions where I have been faced with unpleasant gestures by fellow drivers (needless to say all male) or snubbed for trying to pull up a motor-cyclist riding rashly,” rued Preeti Solanki.
That even those in authority take the fairer sex for granted, only further add to the worries of those like Solanki. Sadly, the men in khaki too aren’t an exception. “I had lodged a complaint against an auto-rickshaw driver for misbehaving with me. However, the police did little about it unless of course I pulled the strings,” said Rachita Reddy, an advertising professional accusing the police of putting her gender before her grievance. While Reddy was lucky, thanks to ‘connections’, that the offender was eventually punished, not all women in Hyderabad manage to get such a fair deal.
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