This Aamir Khan Ad Raises An Important Question About Gender Equality

Gender equality and empowerment of women is the best determinant of social progress in any society. Karl Marx, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk all agreed to it.

There can be no semblance of social progression without equal opportunities for 50℅ of humanity, the fairer sex.

Aamir Khan’s recent ” Gurdeep Singh and daughters” advertisement for  TV channel Star Plus gives an empathetic message of gender equality, breaking stifling patriarchal constructs, prevailing stereotypes, and semi feudal attitudes related to gender. It’s a shame that in world’s largest democracy which boasts of a glorious 5000 year old civilisation, female foeticide, honour killings and dowry deaths still happen and in the khap panchayat hinterlands womenfolk are subjected to misogynist diktats.

This only indicates that we need a radical social transformation to get rid of old vestiges of feudalism and endeavour for gender equality and gender justice. Identity of a person should not be zeroed down to his/ her gender, and prejudicial, regressive attitudes about women have no place in 21st century India.