No, I was not on this train. But you gotta love this photo. And you may notice that you do not see a lot of women. They are probably sitting in the "Ladies Compartment." Let me explain further.On Saturday, my new roommate, John and I ventured into Delhi for the day. John is a fellow Drishtee intern and business school student who is equally clueless about India (I mean this in the best way John!). We make a great pair. Anyway, we decide to take one of the buses, which generally barrel through town at ungodly speeds, blasting their horns while people hang precariously out of the sides. No signage indicates where a bus stop is or where a bus is going but we found a crowd waiting on the street. Sure enough, several buses arrived and we found a ride to Delhi. However, the driver started arguing with a group on the street so we promptly piled off the bus and onto another bus. Then someone yelled at us to take another bus. We unloaded and loaded again.
As John and I squished in the back, I began settling in for a warm, cozy ride. Then someone motioned to me to come forward. Climbing over tangled limbs, I made my way to the "Ladies Compartment," a sectioned-off area in the front of the bus. It was quite remarkable. I mean, it was still hot and dirty but there were decorations and, more importantly, seats for all. And the women all smiled at me. It felt much friendlier than the back of the bus.
Apparently, this is not unusual in India. On many buses and trains, there are separate seats or compartments for women. While I enjoyed the ride, I also struggled with the fairness of the situation. Why should John have to stand but I get to sit? Or, more compellingly, why should an older Indian man have to stand while I sit?
As a feminist, I am unsure how I feel about this separation of areas, especially in a society where women are not always considered equal to men. It was too hot and I felt too uncomfortable to protest so I sat in the Ladies Compartment. I also understand that there are safety reasons in certain situations but I felt completely safe in the back of the bus. Ultimately, I was left wondering about this custom - is it chivalry or chauvinism? Or a combination of both?
3 comments:
I totally understand your conflicted feelings about this, but I think there really is something to be said for the safety concern. When I wondered what I was doing in a "ladies' car" of the Mexico City subway a few years ago, I just thought back to my uncomfortably-grope-filled experience in a tightly-packed crowd of men at a soccer game in Guatemala the prior year, and felt somewhat relieved to not be squooshed in by men (and their wandering hands) on every side. Plus I bet even having a women's car gives more independence to women who might otherwise be somewhat scared (or not allowed by their families?) to travel alone in sketchy public transport. Think about it that way and it's like a baby step toward equality....
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