Women Professionals - Equality myth and Vulnerability

On the eve of Rakshabandhan Day 2024, when brotherhood and sisterhood are  promoted from within the family  to circles beyond that, to ensure protection (raksha), safety and security of the more vulnerable sex, as thus conceived and perhaps perpetrated by the society.  While brotherhood and sisterhood are worth celebrating, attaching the concept of security and protection further asserts the age-old perception of a 'weaker sex' or 'unequal sex' requiring additional protection, as opposed to the vehement stance taken by proponents of equality of sexes. 

The cruel rape and murder of a senior medical intern at Kar Medical College, Kolkotta has really traumatized citizens across the nation. While the medical fraternity and thousands of others join in the protest against the lack of security to women (and) medical professionals, there is another instance of  brutal murder of a health professional of Uttarakhand in Uttar Pradesh. 

I stand by them both, their families, and hold them before the source of all life and healing, and demand justice not only for them, but for all, as promised by our constitution. 

However, several questions well up in my mind some of them likely to be interpreted as misogynist. 

1. The issue of protection of the life of women.  Does it imply that for women there should be additional measures of protection and security? (Perhaps, this is valid for children, the elderly, the physically or mentally challenged etc. as well.)

Apparently, that is the demand from all. I have no difficulty in accepting and supporting this demand.  However, that definitely would imply that women are not all that equal with men. Equal in diginity, but not equal in capacities - they are different, with differing physiological structures and consequent roles, and at least some social roles also are derived from that which may have implications regarding their claim for equality in all domains. 

The ultra-feminist argument of equality is antithetical to the frequent demand for additional protection, reservation for getting represented etc. However, the value of equality should ensure that there is no bar for any woman to have access to any human domain, forum or office on her merit. 

2. On the other hand, the acceptance that women and men are not equal with respect to capabilities, should lead to special treatment for women - ensuring that 50% of humanity is adequately represented in all fields - flowing from the angle of the greater common good and collective human wisdom. 

3. The issue also has further stressed the need for the protection of health professionals, especially doctors who handle human lives and who are called to the duty of promoting life - there appears to be increasing violence against them in this land.  While there are instances of errors and malpractices, there are equal or more number of emotionally fuelled violence against health professionals and institutions.  There indeed needs to be much more efficient systems and procedures that the lives of the professionals responsible for protecting life are safe; while also ensuring that they function in a manner that is life-promoting, as there are evident violations on the part of the medical fraternity as well.  The latter aspect is monstrously evident in the sectors where the health professionals engage with the most vulnerable sections of the society, especially in the public sector. 

4. However, can the collective organised strength of one of the most valued professions of the country in leading a protest that imperils the lives of several thousands be justified? 

Protests, lobbying and pressurizing for apt policy may be necessary for the required results, but would depriving those thousands who are not responsible for the situation of their life in any way be justifiable? 

Would the well-knit and organised doctor fraternity-sorority thus come up if a life is lost evidently on account of the neglect on the part of one of their professional colleagues? And, there are cases galore proving the same. Would the value of the life of such victims be any the less than the present victim? 

* I am still too naive to understand the dynamics of protests when CM Mamta has shown explicit solidarity with the victim and the health professional fraternity, has initiated an inquiry, with a deadline and has also volunteered to hand over the case to the national agency if no results are obtained within the deadline.  The court has found deficiency in the functioning of the state police and has transferred the case promptly to the national agency, and I look for better results from their intervention daily but do not find the national agency accomplishing anything drastically different to make things better.  (I am neither a fan of Mr Modi or BJP, nor of Mamta or TMC; though I do admire certain aspects of their leadership. I do fear the politics of the state and the nation have entered this case in a nasty way). 

Picture - <https://www.meaningfullife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/women_and_men_Different_but_equal.jpg> Aug. 19, 2024