Women/Men Relations

When I step out with my team of an African-American man, an African-American woman, a blond Brazilian woman and a Nigerian woman, I am used to being the one that is often approached by the Indians around us. I assumed that it had to do with people thinking I'm from here, maybe can speak Hindi, or perhaps they feel that they can identify with me as a fellow Indian. However, there are also automatic assumptions made about me as an Indian girl, incorrect assumptions that reflect cultural gender and caste stereotypes that I am starting to recognize, both as they are targeted towards me, and as they are seen in the women and men surrounding us.

Yesterday's panel discussion at the Dalit Foundation declared how women were becoming strong leaders in the Dalit movement. Ironically, however, in a room full of eight women and two men representing the Young Partners (YP) of the Dalit Foundation, the men dominated the conversation, answering every one of our questions first and sometimes interrupting when a girl would timidly try to respond to a query. Additionally, although we are a team of five people and were all sitting together on one side of the room, every YP would direct their answers specifically to Professor Harris- the only man in the room. Such blatant submission to the men by the women in the room both surprised and annoyed me, as I could not imagine myself acting in the same manner if I were in a similar situation.

Today, I was speaking with a professor after our panel discussion on the research that the African American Policy Forum was conducting, as well as my personal goals during the course of these two weeks, and the man seemed to be impressed by my ideas as well as my educational background. Then the situation changed when he ended the conversation with the statement, "Well, make sure you know how to cook well, and eat after your [future]husband." I was astonished at the implication that although I might be well-educated, one of the most important considerations for my future would be that I be able to cook well, and then additionally, make sure I follow the traditional cultural stipulation that women must first serve the men and eat later. This was coming from a man who had attended college in the United States and had continued his education to become a professor at this institution! Surely such an educated man would have realized that such cultural stereotypes are not necessary, certainly not universal, and shows an inherent discrimination against women? By his actions he unnecessarily perpetuates a gender bias, and continues the indoctrination of women being subservient to men.

Observing this type of blatant discrimination in action, as well as seeing other women, whose job it is to actively promote the Dalit movement, defer to the men's opinion on a variety of Dalit issues, expresses the notion that gender stereotypes continue to be expressed as well as followed even in the modern context of an urban city in this, the world's largest democracy. Until such implications are addressed as obvious errors in the cultural realm, particularly among the educated, it is unclear that discrimination against women on a more widespread basis can ever be adequately addressed and remedied.