If she breaks the rule…
Tasnia Al Sultana ।। As a practicing lawyer and a regular staff of National Legal Aid Organization of Bangladesh, the journey of achieving my goal and conducting my regular activities has not been so easy. There are so many obstacles I am still facing in my path. These are happening because of nothing but some traditional sexist stereotypes in our society. Definitely, lawyering is one of the most challenging professions for women if we think according to our so called societal perspective. But, if I put the patriarchy system in one side, no profession is actually supposed to be gender based. This is our society which always used to differentiate between men and women in each sector. For example, a very common question I regularly face in my professional arena – “when will you get married?” Because, most of the people think that my professional career would only last till my marriage and then I would get into the barrier of this typical societal chain. That is why, most of the people, including men and women, think, there does not lie any significance for women in building professional career.
Yet, in our country, despite so many obstacles, clashes and hardship women are achieving enviable success. But it is also the truth that, a very few people are accepting this advancement. This is a very substantial fact that habit of a woman of being outspoken is seen as arrogance by the society. If a woman is competent as well as successful too, and since she has been given the chance by the society to be successful, what is always accepted from her that she behaves appropriately and also she is humble and disciplined. If she breaks the rule, social bullying and public shaming starts. Do you know why these happen? These only happen just out of grudge against her. Similarly, if a man is successful and outspoken, people of the society consider him as successful, iconic personality, bold and handsome. No rule is required for him and these stuffs are never ever going to be changed.
The practice of diminishing women based on their gender is not in mint condition. This practice has been carrying on since the period of Anno Domini (AD). Hypatia, the earliest female mathematician, who was also famous for being a profound astronomer and philosopher, had been brutally murdered by a mob of Christian fanatics. Her fault was only that, she had overcome the existing sexism of the then period. In the 10th century, Khana, an Indian poet and astrologer, whose astrological prediction is also famous as “Khanar Bachan”, was murdered by her own husband who had been influenced by insecurity and retaliation. Her tongue had been cut down so that she could not preach her astrological prediction, as those prediction often came out true and she was getting appreciation and popularity. From the earliest period till present day, the mentality and behaviour towards women has not been modified. With the advancement of time, the way of oppression has been changed but the outset towards women is still remaining the same.
The society also determines what a woman should wear. This is the another form of superagency over them. Most of us are in the wrong perception that a woman’s respect and dignity only lie in their outfit; and the most wondering fact that, even a large number of women are taking part in the movement against the freedom of outfit. A very simple fact they do not want to understand – no matter which outfit a woman wears, this does not define her identity and dignity. A woman’s dignity lies only in her intellectuality, inner skill, creativity and her overturning capacity.
Patriarchy is a trap. Unfortunately, this trap has been spread too inextricably around the whole society that may be it would take more and more decades to get rid of such trap, to clean the gathered rust in the mentality of this typical stereotypic society.
Tasnia Al Sultana
Staff Lawyer, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST)
(The views and opinions expressed by the writers are those of their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Feminist Factor)
