Misogyny In India Has Deep, Institutional Roots

It never stops in India. In this country, the disrespect of women has deep roots.

Sometimes, it is visible on social media platforms, where the abuse can be both innocuous and cleverly disguised. You only have to casually browse through any social media to find women’s intellectual abilities being lampooned, and their bodies being ogled over and generally objectified, and we’ve not even got to misogyny yet.

At other times, the general dislike for women in India comes through newspaper headlines, magazine articles and editorial content. For example, I have read with mild disbelief a senior member of the police bureaucracy call his wife ‘stupid’ in an article he wrote for a weekly magazine recently. In another instance, an editor with a national broadsheet did the same thing; he labelled his wife ‘dimwitted’, with more ‘finesse’ and careful turn of phrase, but the intent got across loud and clear.

So, it was not a huge shock for me when the PM’s deceased mother was recently brought to life via AI in an objectionable video by a political party. Although the video drew predictable denials of impropriety from those who created and posted it online, the very fact that they felt the need to resurrect a departed soul to further their political agenda is in poor taste, to say the least.

However, the targeting of women – mothers, wives, sisters, daughters – is de rigueur in Indian politics. Slurs, insults, abuses aimed at women occupies a lot of the time of Indian male politicians. And that is not by chance. It happens because casual and random misogyny has been part of the system for too long.

Indian men grow up hearing insults directed at women and this being done with delight and pride. Take any casual slur and not-so-casual sexist insult; it has cavernous origins. Expecting women to dress a certain way, speak in a particular manner, remain within the bounds of ‘maryada’ (real and imagined ‘dignity’) while stepping out of home, get married by a certain age and remain married, ‘sacrifice’ your hopes, dreams, ambitions for others and generally be a footnote in the story of your family – Indian men are exposed to these tropes at an early age.

Is it any wonder then that Indian male politicians harbour openly sexist and misogynist thoughts, beliefs and agendas? And that these agendas make their way into the conversations they have, the ideas they share and the policies they frame – all of which end up affecting women in turn?

Misogyny is prevalent – in varying degrees of severity – in countries across the world. Women in other nations, even in the ones where they fare much better than their counterparts in India, do not have it easy.

But nowhere is it so extreme, so deeply-entrenched and so widespread as in India. It is a pity that even in the 25^th year of the 21^st century, I am writing this article and dissecting this topic. India may have women political leaders and women in positions of authority but that does not minimize the toxicity and danger that casual and noxious misogyny continues to hold for its women.

Identifying it, calling it out, talking about it are just some of the ways the scourge of misogyny can be tackled. When more and more women would find it worthwhile to do so, the tide might turn.