Let girls blossom free from gender bias: LS Speaker Mahajan

Calling women as a "parallel force", Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan today said society should allow girls to blossom and not stunt their growth under the weight of gender bias.
"People keep telling me that I run Parliament House and have to deal with so many MPs, sometimes it witnesses protests from members...So, tell you all that yes we (women) can," she said.
Mahajan was addressing a gathering at the release of report 'Innovative practices for care of elderly women in India' prepared by NGO 'Stree Shakti' in association with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), at the Constitution Club of India here.

"We have been hearing over ages, in families, 'tu ladki hai..To aisa mat kar' (you are a girl so, do not do this or that). But, we should tell girls that they can achieve more because they are girls.
"Whenever I meet girls in schools, I tell them to play their heart out, because, they may be just fetching utensils and doing chores in kitchens in future," she said.
"We already have a Women Empowerment Committee in Parliament, but more than legislation, we need a change in societal attitude," she said.

The Speaker also emphasised that times are changing and we must "respect convention" but not be "restricted by it."

"The convention should not be broken but it should be suitably moulded...When I go to rural areas, I see sarpanches in veil, and they show hesitation.
"People think by keeping a veil, we are showing respect, but one can also do the same by not keeping it or show disrespect by keeping it. It's all in the attitude," Mahajan said.
On the condition of elderly people, she said, "ideally, we should not be having old-age homes, But, sometimes, children are working away from hometown, or out of country, so it may be needed. But, even if we not be living in a joint family per se, the spirit of it can still be kept alive. And, neighbours would then start bonding, and no one will feel alone."

"Also, I must say, age is all in the mind, so, don't feel old mentally," she said.
On deification of women, she said, "We women are a parallel force indeed, besides the men, and I feel we should not be treated as goddesses but as human beings who hold power," she added.