Education = Empowerment, Illiteracy = Vulnerability? Think again!

Hi Sats
understand your point.

The only other reason I can think of for the lady's action could be her own safety. Maybe other parasites are lurking around and she feels a known devil is better.

I realized I didn't answer your question. Education for women is definitely an asset. If even with education when women are still ill treated, imagine our situation in the absence of it.

 

Hi Satchi,

Interesting post - it reminded me of a short story titled Dopdi (Draupadi) written by Mahashweta Devi. Supposedly inspired from a real life incident the story is about a tribal girl who is gang raped by a platoon of military soldiers. After raping her through the night, in the morning they throw a piece of white cloth over her body and ask her to dress up so that she can be presented to their platoon leader for questioning. However, much to everyone's shock she walks stark naked in front of the platoon leader. When asked why she caused such blatant disrespect she replies that there is not a single man in the room who hasn't seen her naked so why the debauchery. Each time I read that story, I always thought that where this "illiterate" tribal girl gathered all this courage from. Because I know so many smart and confident women who probably would not have the same amount of courage.

Does knowing too much, and analyzing our problems through all the pros and cons make us weak? I have always pondered over it. A friend then gave an answer which partially made sense that often times it does require courage to stay put. But the social and behavioral implications on future generations of staying in a relationship that is abusive on all grounds is terrible. It is indeed a vicious cycle.

I think a lot of posters above me have given numerable reasons why people think and rethink.

I try not to question why someone is in an abusive relationship, they might have their reasons which might seem rational to them. I remember a few-years ago, a friend was talking about how she was "lucky and privileged" because her husband "allowed" her to take care of her parents. There is something wrong with that statement I thought because taking care of one's parents should be a basic right and not a privilege accosted to a few.

Education is supposed to change us, but our education sometimes focuses on preparing us for finding gainful employment. Reminds me sometimes of computer generated robots that don't question anything.

Education will empower when it is easily accessible and apart from teaching basic life skills (which a lot of people including the lady that works in your house, learn from life and society more than in class room) becomes a tool of self-reflection. I think the flaw of our education is that it doesn't focus enough on self questioning and reflection - I think courage and true empowerment will only happen when our education system inculcates in us a spirit of questioning ourselves. I have also realized that it is a very painful process, to question everything you have ever believed in but once that happens one can see more clear.

 

Dear Satchi,

this maid of yours is gutsy eh ! Enough to kick her hubby out, wow, and to make her brother a nominee, great.She ios more educated , that other educated persons.

people talk of education, none of the colleges teach u how to adjust in married life, it all comes to you on yr own.

All it needs is guts and common sense, that better to be without a husband , than to be with such a vermin.

if u are educated , fine, if not, the world is not lost, u still have common sense in u, god has given us all in plenty. A woman can live life well without a man in er life.

This maid of yours has shown how to manage life well, on her own terms.

Regards

kamal

 

Satchi dear a thought provoking post and the fbs are also good. Most of the maids suffer in their married life because of their husbands. Some husbands drink and some dont go to work and depend on their wife's salary. My maid also is suffering because of her husband. She is not able to leave him also.

Even educated women also suffer . Some are able to come out of it but some are not because they do not want to trouble their family. When they have a child it becomes more difficult to come out as the child's future will be spoilt. It requires lot of patience and tolerance to be with a person who does not appreciate his better half and does not support her , its ok if he does not support but complaining about his own wife to others makes the wife feel so bad. But still she adjusts though sometimes she also argues but cant come out of the relationship because of the child and her future. Also people wont understand why she has come out and it becomes difficult to face the public. Hearing others problems now a days many girls dont want to get married and feel they are happy without marriage and having a good job. One of my relative's daughter did not get married saying all married people are not happy , she is happy with the topmost post in a bank and is now 40 years old. Her mother has to hear so much because of that from others and whenever she attends any close relative's marriage she feels bad . The daughter says dont complain about me to my mother. She tells her mother the poojas you do for me getting married gives me promotion in my office and not in life, my luck is that way.

P.S. Dont know whether I have written in reply to your subject, whatever I felt I have written