The anger is different this time. Be it a case from a hospital in Kolkata or a school in the Mumbai suburb of Thane. The dirty secret of the Malayalam film industry is already out in the open. The anger doesn’t get any better when you learn that even in such heinous crimes, it can take 32 long years for justice to be served, as in the case of girls in Ajmer, Rajasthan in the early 1990s.
But the outrage is different this time, and that gives us hope. It has gone beyond petty politics. The political class has been discredited. The police administration is afraid. The Supreme Court has taken cognizance of its own accord.
The good thing is that this time the anger is directed at the powerful system where some predators shamelessly overstep all boundaries as they use power or access to it for their own benefit, both carnal and otherwise. The anger is now directed at the patriarchy that is at the root of all discrimination in the world.
Patriarchy and the Law of the Jungle
Patriarchy is a disorder that operates according to the law of the jungle. Here might is considered right. If one has power, he can do anything according to his own will – with his strength, influence, reach, by breaking the system or by taking away the rights of others by force. Sexual harassment is the most perverse manifestation of patriarchy and the jungle raj it represents.
On paper, we have left the laws of the jungle behind, right? But the wild animals still roam the streets of Kolkata, Ajmer, Kochi, Bareilly, Thane, Patna, Satna, Kathua, Hathras… Thousands of names can be added to the list. There are millions of people who still believe in the false sense of superiority that the jungle manual offers.
But this time the anger is directed against those who adhere to these principles. People have come to realise that jungle raj serves the interests of a few. It is a kind of democratic uprising that can lead to far-reaching and radical changes.
Those who are committed to the idea of the rule of law know how beneficial it can be to maintain a safe environment for women. The International Labour Organization (ILO) conducted a study in 2018 and came up with some surprising findings. While companies struggle to increase their profit margins by 2-3%, it found that increasing female representation on boards increases profit margins by as much as 5-20%.
Some other notable findings from the research include:
- Increasing female representation increases the likelihood of higher profits and productivity by as much as 63%
- Retaining good talent becomes 60% easier
- The chance of innovation increases by 59%
- Company reputation increases by 58%
- Understanding consumer behavior becomes 38% easier
Despite these benefits, change has been woefully slow. Just look at what a recent UN report says. Globally, 270 crore women do not have the same employment rights as men. Of the 190 countries assessed, 69 have restrictions on women working across all sectors. And in a whopping 43 countries, there are no laws to prevent sexual harassment of women in the workplace. Horrible, right?
The same UN report also says that globally, while only 61% of women attempt to enter the workforce, the figure for men is over 90%. And when a woman becomes a mother, only half of them get the chance to enter the workforce. Men face no such restrictions after becoming a father. Must be the design of the same set of patriarchal forces.
Why Some Fear the Rule of Law
The discrimination is incomprehensible, given the benefits that can accrue if we abolish it. Such discrimination can only exist in a patriarchy-driven jungle raj.
The question is, why has patriarchy remained so unshakeable for centuries? It is clear that it is the interests of a powerful minority. Those with influence do not want the rule of law to replace this jungle raj. The benefits they get because of their influence make them afraid of losing them under the rule of law.
A little bit of patriarchy exists in all of us – men and women. Some more, some less. But the anger in the country gives hope that its grip will weaken. That happened after the Nirbhaya movement, and even after the all-powerful MeToo movement that swept the world not so long ago. We all need to fully understand that destroying patriarchy is in everyone’s interest.
Shouldn't we all unite in our quest to establish the rule of law, a system free from principles that say might equals right?
(Mayank Mishra is a consulting editor and Vasudha Venugopal is a presenter and political editor at NDTV)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author