“Patriarchy is impossible in a country like India,” says Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman. To say that is to deny the reality of our society.
Anusha Y. (Sem. I)
During a session with students at Jain University recently, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman denied the existence of any inequality faced by women in the country. She called the concept of patriarchy a part of leftist jargon and urged the young students to beware the trap.
When a student asked Ms. Sitharaman about how patriarchy halts women and if she experienced the same, she countered by saying that patriarchy in a country like India was impossible and that it was rather a guise that some women use to hide their personal inefficiency.
She then went on to say that women in India can achieve their full potential by illustrating the names of some well-known female inspirations. In doing so, she turned a blind eye towards the underprivileged women facing struggles because of resource scarcity as a result of government actions.
Although her real intent might be to encourage women to utilise the opportunities, many young women across the country find this argument derisive, especially coming from the only female union minister of the country.
While this argument mostly feels like a general ignorance of a union minister towards the concept of patriarchy, it also showcases the attitude that highly positioned authorities have to cover their inability to reach out to general public and identify gaps in society.
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