I attended a presentation called Gender Oppression Against Women in South Asia by the South Asian Student Association (SASA). The presenter was Sahana Athreya and she is the Vice President of SASA. Her presentation was divided into three main categories: cultural and religious, crime against women, and honor killings. 

The first part covered culture and religion in South Asia. Sahana began with social norms and how South Asia’s society is patriarchal. For example, women are viewed as mentally, physically, and emotionally inferior to men. It is also typical for women to receive a “virginity test,” which is supposed to measure her purity; if she passes, she will be worthy of marriage. Another social norm mentioned in the presentation was that women and girls have access to less education and are expected to fulfill their “duty” as caregivers, wives, and mothers. In addition, religion plays a huge role in how the society of South Asia is constructed. For instance, for those who practice Hinduism, when girls get their menstrual cycle, they are viewed as “impure.” On top of this, when women are on their periods, they are locked up and isolated from men until their cycle is over, and are not allowed to pray. 

The second part of the presentation explained a type of crime committed against women in South Asia known as acid attacks. The purpose of acid attacks is to cause permanent damage to a woman as a form of revenge. Men are allowed to commit this crime if a female ever hurt their feelings in any way and allows them to feel more powerful. In 2013, there were approximately 113 attacks, and 252 in 2017. However, acid attacks are not the only acts of violence toward women; some include rape, abuse, and murder. The worst part is that a man can justify any of these actions by explaining that they were stressed because of personal problems such as household issues, food shortages, and instability. 

In the final section, Sahana touched upon honor killings. This type of murder is allowed because it is an attempt to fix the reputation of a family after a family member has brought “shame” with their actions. These actions include rival relationships and premarital sex. About ⅕ of honor killings are committed in Pakistan, and laws allow many people to get away with this crime. 

In my opinion, the presentation was excellent. I enjoyed learning about the oppression that women in South Asia face. Although it was terrifying because I can only imagine how women must feel every day, it helped grow my awareness of this issue. I hope and pray that over time someone takes initiative to find a solution on how to make the society of South Asia safer for women all over.