un/predictable environments
A space for conversation, analysis, and inquiry following the Un/Predictable Environments Conference, May 20-21, 2021
Un/predictable environments are omnipresent, especially when we are dealing with a difficult time like COVID-19. This conference was quintessential because it covered a wide range of topics. It distinctly conveyed how ecology, politics, agencies, disasters, geography and pandemics have been interacting with unpredictable environments for centuries. Many sessions explored how to predict and avoid different kinds of harm, some of which I talk about in this post. International conferences like these provide us with the opportunity to exchange ideas with the global community of scholars working on issues of environmental unpredictability, even if how to decipher them remains unclear. The conditions of different regions of the world due to this disastrous COVID-19 have been awful so far as many people have lost their lives to it. In my own region, for example, there are fewer families around me that have not been affected by COVID than those that have. Not only human beings but animals have been touched by the outbreak. Every being has their own torment and state of anxiety, and while some can speak about it, others can not. Especially when we talk about women, many find themselves in a state of immense unspeakable turmoil during COVID-19 for reasons that have little and everything to do with the virus. Women everywhere in the world, one way or the other, share a similar emotion to that I am trying to express here. I suppose the reader might relate to it, too. (click read more to continue) In India, the second wave of COVID-19 has been the deadliest with record numbers of positive cases and deaths everyday. People are numb and in a state of shock as to how to restart things.
Women in particular, have suffered in a very different way during the pandemic in that they have dealt with increased levels of domestic violence. This way especially the case when everyone was locked up in their respective houses. Among all the countries facing the pandemic and the lockdown, the cases of domestic violence have risen. The Eastern Mediterranean region has the second highest prevalence of violence against women worldwide (37%). Emerging data shows an increase in calls to domestic violence helplines in many countries since the outbreak of COVID-19. During normal times, women might have dissipated this pressure by getting out of their houses and sitting with the community, what you might describe as “being social.” But the lockdown has taken a heavy toll on this aspect of sociality. Patriarchies all over the world share some commonalities such as upholding the agency of men over women (which means some men feel that they have control over women’s production, reproduction and sexuality), gender binaries, and more. India is a country that strictly follows the codes and norms of patriarchy. There is a unique phenomenon within the Indian context that is called “Brahminical Patriarchy,” under which caste, gender, class, communalism, economic relationships and sexuality interact and shape women’s experiences through endogamy. In turn this overpowers our decisions and limits our actions. I am not saying that patriarchy is against women, but it somehow fails to recognize and empathize with what women want. There is no denying the fact that there exist “biological differences” between men and women but the patriarchy is merely a social norm that has been constructed by man to fulfill his social and psychological needs. This suggests that men’s needs are the cornerstone of patriarchy. One of the difficulties that women face or faced during the pandemic is that it became almost impossible to report the domestic violence cases. There are a few reasons for this: first, during the lockdown women felt scared at the thought of getting infected by the virus; and second women under patriarchy often lack resources like social and cultural capital. The pandemic has made some women more vulnerable due to a lack of these resources. Due to this unprecedented medical emergency, much focus has been shifted to medical needs and many other issues are assumed less important. The pandemic has also impacted women's livelihoods. Housewives as well as working women are working extremely hard and still getting fewer opportunities than men. People in rural as well as urban areas have lost their jobs due to COVID-19, and women have arguably been more severely affected by this because they not only lost their jobs but the burden of the care inside the home has increased. Their maternal and sexual health is also at stake which has always been one of the key factors that women have fought for so long. Before COVID women didn’t have much freedom because of the thought that they should be kept safe; now the lockdown looks like the cherry on the cake because it has imposed even more mobility restrictions on women. These factors have resulted in worsening the inequities women face in access to education, health and work opportunities. As the world continues to cope with the challenges of the pandemic, women should be kept at heart of strategies to curb violence and ensure there are actions to improve women's lives. Speaking to India, bringing policies that directly benefit women into the mainstream could really change the narrative of India’s development. There are few NGOs and self-help groups (SHGs) that work in this regard, for instance, “SWAYAM” and many more. But the major turning point will be when people start to recognize the contributions women offer to the society. Perhaps we could begin by talking to women about what they need, using social media to reach as many women as possible. Additionally, privileged people like social activists and social workers should come forward to spread awareness about women's mental and physical health needs. Families should themselves be vigilant enough to meet the basic requirements of women in their respective houses. Women should feel heard. Though women of this generation are becoming aware of their rights and place in society, it’s still the case help should be provided at many levels. Ultimately true feminism means equality, recognition and empathy towards every person irrespective of their gender.
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