The Delhi Incident

The recent incident of uxoricide committed in Delhi, where a man stabs his wife in broad daylight because she refused to leave her job as a nurse, and become a homemaker as he wished her to be, accusing her of infidelity , has people appalled and brings emphasis on gender based violence and gender norms pertaining to women who choose to work for their livelihood. The inaction exhibited by the people present at the the site of the murder, shows what society is developing into today- A self- centered mass of people who can only record the incident, instead of taking action which could have saved a life.

This is not the first time we have seen such an incident occur, whether it was Draupadi then being humiliated by being disrobed in in Mahabharata, where the other members of the court were just the onlookers then, when a woman was stabbed brutally people were onlookers now.

Events like these just show the horrors the society has to offer, everyone says the world is a beautiful place, but is it? When we see events like these transpire over work-life balance, over career you want, over things you work for or care about as a woman,why are crimes against women just a thing that is normal in society?Why did no one intervene to save that woman, isn’t it just horrendous that nobody thought she was worth saving, or is it that these incidents occur way too often that it has been normalized that we as a society are too busy with our lives to care about? Why is stabbing someone in broad daylight at a public place not worth an intervention?Why is physical abuse of a woman by her husband a normal thing? Why is society ignorant to things like marital abuse faced by women? Why is ambition or a sense of duty towards your job a reason to suspect an affair? Is a woman’s ambition towards her career a cause for abuse? Why can’t women choose to have a career and take care of a household? Why does managing a household by quitting your job always be a thing a woman MUST do?

When such events occur, who are we to blame the SOCIETY?

Isn’t it humane to save a person’s life when in danger? The society needs to evolve and not normalize crimes against women whether it be physical or mental abuse many such crimes that have to be addressed by the society. People should not be ignorant and carry on as though nothing untoward has occurred, or it is a normalized routine .”How much do I have to intervene ?“.Intervention in issues as such is extremely essential. Such abuses are a consequence of the mental block that women have to listen to the so-called MAN OF THE HOUSE, and taking care or managing a household is a woman’s duty and decisions for women are to be made by the men in their lives. This enforces the idea that women are properties or an object that has to be managed. The fact that women can define their lives, make their own decisions , make a choice on their career and ambition, or whether they want to take care of a household or not, the fact that WOMEN CAN MAKE THEIR OWN CHOICES, seems to be an idea that certain people cannot fathom.

Balancing work and home life is a crucial decision all working couples must make. But we all know women do most of the heavy lifting at home – and this is not because they prefer it or are biologically 'more suitable to care' (yes, many people still believe that).

Rather, this is rooted in their lack of “fall- back options”. The lack of financial independence, parental support, inheritance, means most of the time, a woman rarely gets to choose employment over housework.

Their unwillingness to relent to gender norms must not result in such a dire consequence. Being an onlooker to a crime is as good as being a part of it. Empowerment of women who choose to work for their livelihood is a major step to diminishing gender based violence.

Justice needs to be served to this woman, and such barbaric acts needs to be curtailed by all. Balancing work and home life is a crucial decision all working couples must make. But we all know women do most of the heavy lifting at home – and this is not because they prefer it or are biologically 'more suitable to care' (yes, many people still believe that).

Rather, this is rooted in their lack of “fall- back options”. The lack of financial independence, parental support, inheritance, means most of the time, a woman rarely gets to choose employment over housework.

- Pranavi C. S and Riya D'Souza