Privilege

At each stop on the super modern and fancy-looking Delhi Metro, the recording of a male voice announces the name of the stop and implores passengers to give up their seat to those who are elderly, physically disabled, and ladies. Upon hearing each announcement, I promptly rolled my eyes, and looked around at the other women on the train, wondering if they felt similarly annoyance at this condescending equation.

Back home in Hyderabad, I take the bus home from work everyday with my coworker, Anu. The buses in India can be dangerous; sometimes one has to jump on or off the bus during what couldn't quite qualify in the States as a rolling stop. Buses in Delhi are constantly in the paper for running people over, or having people die as a result of speeding up as people are trying to jump aboard. The Hyderabad local buses have two entrances, both on the left side: the one in front for women, the one in back for men. The rationale is that the woman's door is safer, presumably because the driver can see when people have finished climbing into / exiting the bus, and can see if women are getting harassed. When crowded, sometimes one cannot even get off the bus when desired because it is impossible to get through the crowd. Roughly half of the seats towards the front of the bus are reserved for ladies: sometimes they are marked with signs; on other buses it is simply done, despite lack of signs. The first two rows on the left front side of the bus are reserved for elderly and physically disabled persons.

When I get on the bus, I can walk up to men sitting in the reserved-for-ladies seats and make them go back so I can sit. When I, or other women enter a bus, men will generally get up and move backwards to another seat or area. Sometimes this doesn't happen: too often men will refuse to give their seats to women, or people will fight over the disabled/elderly seats. Images are conjured of blacks rushing to the back to give way to white passengers and that of Rosa Parks being arrested to the minds of anyone who has studied the Montgomery bus boycotts. Though the comparison is symbolic, obviously not parallel, being a white privileged American in India riding the bus with people who are working class or most likely somewhat poor and having them automatically jump up from their seat as soon as they see me feels strange at best.

Do I have some sort of weakness, an ailment, a desperate need inherent in being a woman that makes it necessary for me to receive special treatment, guaranteeing me a bus seat over the majority male passengers? I don't like the idea that I would need a seat, that men should give up seats for women, that on the Metro women's sitting needs are equated with that of elderly and disabled bodies persons. This implies that women are weak, that they need special treatment because they are inferior and require protection. And yet...

Women here tell me that buses are perhaps the place where they face the most harassment from men. There are less women out in public compared with men, so although they might need less seats reserved (or none at all), a measure like that might ensure women would feel more safe to ride the bus and feel safe going out in public. Admittedly, I like that when I enter a bus, I am often given a seat. As the only white person in any given Hyderabadi bus (unless my roommates are with me), I attract a range of stares when I am on the bus, and standing at the front of the bus invites an audience of curious, amused, confused, and creepy looks. My NGO is currently working with the bus department to ensure that reserving bus seats for women is practiced. Evidently they feel it is an important women's issue.

My Intro to Women's Studies professor Dr. Shimizu posed the question: If we could achieve equality, would you be willing to give up certain perks? If we could have equal pay and not fear rape and domestic abuse, would we be willing to part with free entry to clubs on "ladies night" and the custom of men paying for dates? She said that in order to achieve equality both parties need to be willing to part with certain aspects of their privilege. If we had to give up reserved for women bus seats and insulting loudspeaker Metro announcements in exchange for someone guaranteeing that women would not having to face harassment or "eve teasing" in buses and in public, I would unquestionably agree that seat reservation based on sex category should be abolished. But one will not simply result from the other: giving up bus seat reservation will not make it so women can travel by bus without fear - it might inadvertently have the opposite effect. Changing laws and regulations is a necessary part of implementing social change, but does not cause social change in itself.

In working for a women's resource center, doing my best to subvert notions of natural gender restrictions by example, and living as best I can without fear in a country and world where women still face extreme inequality in various forms, I am doing my best to effect change for women in society and of gender as a concept. Until change occurs, however, I will continue to participate in what I see as simultaneously a privilege and condescension, and sit in the reserved for ladies seats on the bus. And roll my eyes at the Metro announcements. And fight for women's equality.