Ladies Compartment

The recent decision of the government to have a separate ladies’ compartment in the Delhi Metro has not impressed me much. And the reasons behind it are mainly two:

1. I consider it to be a privilege for women; a privilege that they should NOT get. If they don’t like to be any lesser than men, then they should also not get anything more than men. Giving a special Ladies’ Compartment is, in a way, against the idea of Gender Equality. 

2. It’s an easier way out. Since the government finds it difficult to change the mindset of men, they decided to take the easy way out, and gave a Ladies’ Compartment to women who complain about the unsafe city environment. 

They say that the aim is to build and develop a society that thrives on Gender Equality, and where women should not feel scared, or lesser equipped in any way, from the opposite sex. They say that both males and females should have equal rights, and that there should be no discrimination against women. 

I ask – If there should be no gender discrimination, and one sex should not be less than the other, then do we have the right to give gender ‘privileges’? In my opinion, a ladies’ compartment in the Delhi Metro is a privilege that one gender enjoys, rather than a safety measure.  Or simply put, it’s a privilege in the name of safety. 

Most people would disagree with me. Some would even question my opinions, considering the fact that I am a woman myself. I should be happy with the move that the government has made for my security and safety while traveling. But I’m upset. I am upset because I don’t want a society where I can walk in like a queen inside the ladies’ compartment and grab a seat for myself. Instead, I want a society where I can walk in any compartment of the train, and a man gets up with courtesy to offer me a seat. 

Consider two situations:

In the first one:

A woman complains to a Judge about a man eve-teasing her in the Metro. The judge in his response says, “Okay woman, you have a problem? Fine, I pass the order to make a new ladies’ compartment. Now you can travel in that compartment and stop complaining about eve-teasing.”

Of course, the man in this case is punished for eve teasing, but when he gets out of the jail, he will probably do it again. And then the next woman too will be asked to start traveling in the Ladies Compartment. 

In the second case:

A woman complains to a Judge about a man eve-teasing her in the Metro. The judge in his response says, “The man has not shown appropriate social conduct. An action should be taken against him.”

In this case, the woman is happy because she has received complete justice. The man will probably be taught to value and respect the position of women in the society, and next time onwards, he’d probably not show inappropriate conduct anymore. 

What the Indian government has done, is following of the first case, where it is implied that men can continue eve teasing. If women have a problem with that, then they should start traveling in the ladies compartment. 

I don’t want this kind of a society, where a man can have the liberty to do whatever he wants, and women who have a problem with that are advised to travel in a ladies’ compartment. I want a society where instead the man is taught the difference between right and wrong. And I am assuming that the government finds it difficult to do so. They find it difficult to create awareness and make people literate and educated, which is why they choose easier options, such as making ladies’ compartments. 

Come to think of it... When a woman insists on traveling in a ladies compartment, isn’t she herself implying that she belongs to the weaker half of the society? Isn’t she herself meaning to say that the other gender is more powerful? When I travel in a ladies’ compartment, I feel guilty, for being treated like a queen and having a comfortable seat and a spacious compartment, while men in the other compartments are struggling for space to breathe. I also feel weak, and meek, that I chickened out and chose the safer way of traveling because I am scared of the other gender. 

Can’t we just teach women to be a little stronger and ask them to co-exist, or at least travel peacefully and equally with men? And can’t we teach men to be a little more civil, and respectful of women, so that they stop feeling unsafe and stop asking for a ladies’ compartment altogether?

It’s a simple concept:

Man takes advantage of woman. She feels unsafe and keeps a grudge, and asks for a ladies’ compartment. 

Woman travels comfortably in a ladies’ compartment. Man keeps a grudge and takes it out by eve-teasing women. 

Let’s try and remove the root causes… Let’s educate men to treat women equally, so that women feel safe and stop having a problem with men. Let’s educate women to stop asking for special privileges in the name of safety, so that the men feel equal and stop abusing women. 

Seriously, how difficult is this to achieve?