Nishtha Shrestha

The autonomy of a woman has been the topic widely discussed in recent days. While the debates in Nepal are focused on the need for women to be modest in their appearances, the issues worldwide include the ban on swimming caps designed for Black athletes, lack of provisions for Olympic athletes who are breastfeeding and the fine imposed on the Norwegian women's beach handball team due to their dress code. Despite the variation among these issues, the common theme is the regulation on the bodies of women.
Despite the claims of gender equality on paper, the discrimination continues to exist in the society. A woman is not free to make choices about her body. It is the society who decides when and where a woman gets to fulfil her needs. The burden of purity is put on the female gender from her childhood and this is an excuse to dictate the dresses, gestures, interactions, which in summary, is her freedom. If rapes are happening even inside the homes, can we still reason that it was the dress of the woman which caused the crime?
Those who dare to break the norm are penalised. What then is the reason for this need to constantly monitor what women do with their bodies. The answer for the ban on abortion is to prevent the loss of a new life. But why are women criticised for choosing their health over the society's expected role of motherhood. It is the right of a woman to decide whether she wants to be a mother or not. But this belief that women are born to procreate has taken away their opportunity to choose.
An informal survey conducted in a social media platform showed how some men refused to be a house husband if given a choice. Though the sample is limited to make definite conclusions, it may question the reasons behind such an attitude of men. Some men make comments such as household works are not as stressful as the outside jobs. Since every human wants a stress-free life, then why are these men hesitant to make this change? Is it because they understand how household duties are a disguise for restricting women or they feel incompetent to multitask as is expected of a housewife.
Women have started to protest in their own ways against these restrictive practices that defy logic. Yet, it is disheartening to see that bodies of women continue to be exploited in the society. The beauty industry is one such example. Women are both criticised for spending money on expensive make-up products and ridiculed for being out of fashion. The grey hair in men is considered beautiful while women are labelled as old for having a few strands. The stark difference in the beauty standards for men and women is itself a sign of how bodies of women are controlled by the society.
There is a long way to go before a woman is accepted for her talents and personality. From a change in the attitudes to ensuring rights for women from every background, the work ahead is immense. We can, however, start by allowing women to make choices in the home they belong to.