It is difficult being a woman and read the papers or watch the news and not pull out your hair in sheer frustration at the views being expressed on gender.
On Gandhi Jayanti the Union Minister for Coal and Congress leader from UP– Sriprakash Jaiswal got his face metaphorically blackened when made a quip at a poetry convention, in Kanpur, about victories being like wives, they lose charm as they get older. The simple explanation, given by many was that it was a common saying said in jest. But, should ministers making jokes of this nature in public – especially in states where there is already a high degree of machismo, violence towards women and ingrained misogyny? Naturally women took offense. The normally inert National Council for Women (NCW) suddenly woke up and made some noises, before going dormant again. News channels, on a slow news day, found it an easy story to run.
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