Half a Billion Rising

Saira’s story is fascinating at multiple levels. Her story is also not typical because unlike many families where boys’ education is always given priority, in Saira’s home, Saira seems to be getting ahead of her brothers. Saira’s older brother failed in Class IX and is now working as a mechanic repairing television sets and other electronic gadgets. He studied in an Urdu-medium school. “We are Muslims, na,” she tells me as if that is the most natural thing to do for Muslims. Her younger brother is also studying in the same Urdu school and it is difficult to envisage that his future will be very different from that of his elder brother.

Saira is already becoming a role model for many. Her brothers, once in a while ask her to teach them English. Recently, a boy living in the neighbourhood and studying in Class VI approached her to help him with his studies.

Meghna’s choice of finance as a career has been influenced by the fact that her dad is a finance professional and also by the fact that she has seen or read about many successful female finance professionals in India. She specifically mentioned Shikha Sharma, CEO and Managing Director of Axis Bank and a career banker with the ICICI Group before that, during our conversation. “She has done so well for herself in spite of being a woman and without ignoring her kids. I really admire her.”

I was intrigued by her choice of the phrase ‘in spite of’. I asked her to explain it.

It is not that. There is pressure from the family to look after kids so what I have seen is that women tend to take off for a year or so after their kids are born. After that …like my mom—she was working and then she stopped when I was born. Then Malini was born. She started working quite a few years after that. In Shikha aunty’s case a mid-career break did not happen. What helped her was the support she had from her parents and her in-laws who were staying with her. That was a plus. Usually it is expected that the mom will look after the kids and not the dad. So it puts women at a disadvantage when it comes to career and work.

Is that changing or will it change in your generation?

I think, yeah (and she broke into a big smile and laughed as if almost amused at her own articulation of what many boys of her generation will do). I think more guys will be staying at home. I am sure.

Tanvi told me, “All my uncles and aunts thought that once a girl studies then there is no tension about marriage. So now they want their daughters to study even if they have to pay donations to get them admission. This is driving the education of girls.” This is something that I heard in other towns and cities as well.

The impact of being more educated and smarter is already being felt when it comes to marriage. Indian parents are almost obsessed with the marriage of their children, girls and boys alike. With girls getting more educated and more ambitious, many of them will find it harder to find partners within their present socio-economic communities. Men will find it harder to handle a confident young woman who knows her mind and is unwilling to live by the earlier tenet of an adarsh bhartiya naari (ideal Indian woman). In many of the stories that I have chronicled, I saw that girls were getting married to men who were less qualified. Give it another few years and many girls will not be willing to do so.

Vakavaka Pakapaka wrote:Terrible news for CONmen and other Sikularists!

The minorities got educated and they moved away. The youth want jobs and not slogans; they also moved away. Now it is the turn of women.

When they all turn their backs to CONartists, MT and her son will take to the bottle and cry their hearts out.