Within my project, I would like to represent women and their treatment in the South Asian culture specifically. It is not uncommon for parents to prefer sons as children. Reasons why include the strength and responsibility that the boy can provide for the family. Parents are less uneasy and feel that the son will look after them when they are old. This is because it is typical for married couples to live with the husband’s family home. Daughters are looked down upon for the opposing reasons. Hence, they are typically married off at a younger age. They are seen as a burden that should be removed as soon as possible.
Although, no country has yet established gender equality, western countries have influenced these lower developed countries to shift away from their traditional values. The examples I will provide are those of the south asian community.
One example is of the Bollywood film, Bajirao Mastani. The way women are typically represented are both complied with and challenged. Bajirao, prince of a division in India, falls in love with a warrior princess of another division, Mastani. They met when she came to him to work with her division bilaterally to fight another division. It was not typical for a female to fight in war alongside men, so in that sense, it was challenged. However, Mastani was the only one. In other words, men generally made up the army, and then the women who stayed in the castle at home decorated it and welcomed the soldiers after their victories. The men were typically immature obnoxious while the women were formal to uphold their image.
Another example is of another Bollywood film, Padmavati. Queen Padmavati is married to a noble king. Another king hears about her beauty and becomes obsessed and is willing to fight in war to overthrow the noble one of their division to marry Padmavati. This movie challenged the cultural values of women. The men fight over this women throughout the movie as if she is an object. Additionally, she has no say. At the end of the film, the women of the division collaborated to create the plan of Jauhar. This is the self-immolation by women in India. This was the women’s way of protecting their beauty and not serving men, but preserving it for themselves. The new king who wants her finally enters the castle, but just as her and the other women walked the fire.
I feel that it is unfair for women. Because men are physiologically known to be stronger, individuals overtime have correlated that with power and therefore, a patriarchal approaches. I believe that more women should be represented as stronger rather than a weak, submissive individual. Their power over themselves should not overlap with a male’s. I believe that the cultural lens is derived from misinterpretations of religious script as well as an overwhelming amount of male leadership which has swayed policies to favor them.
I would challenge the strength of women. Women’s processes, such as giving birth, is associated with them being weak, however, it is what should be honored and respected about them. I would challenge the idea that women are meant to stay at home. I believe they should be able to obtain an education. In the long run, this was heal the conflicts that these lower developed countries have. What I believe that should be retained is the respect for women. This also involves the idea of giving birth. They have undergone much pain to nurture and birth a child, and that should be honored for.
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