Kerala Wants Women To Work In Bars - This Is How They're Going To Do It

In the early 2000’s, when television was still king, there were a few movies that you quite simply could not avoid. One among them was ‘Coyote Ugly’, hardly a seminal piece of art, but one that the Indian television networks seemed determined to shove down our throats at every opportunity. An unexpected side-effect was that a whole generation of preteen girls grew up with the idea that badass, bottle-flipping women were a regular fixture in bars. This preconception was of course shattered the moment they hit legal age and became acquainted with the realities of the Indian mentality.

While the British-era law (circa 1914) that explicitly banned women from bars was overturned in 2007 there are still some places which have their own regulations on the matter. In Kerala there have even been sections in the Abkari shops disposal rules (2002), and Foreign Liquor Rules (1953) that even today forbid it. In an attempt to equalise the distribution of labour and provide equal opportunities to women, the state is now proposing a total removal of this system which will be passed after it’s sent to the government for ratification.

This move is being met with mixed emotions, on the whole people are responding positively to the news as an example of progress and the Women’s Rights movement. But there are some who believe that this will lead to a rise in sexual harassment cases in the workplace. While, unfortunately, there is a grain of truth in this concern it only serves to highlight the much bigger problem at hand. That no one is addressing the need to ensure women’s safety in the workplace.

Similar arguments were made with regards to women working nights shifts and while such concern is appreciated it comes as a slightly backhanded addressal of female empowerment. It’s been proven far too many times that rape is not restricted by time, age, location, caste, religion or appearance so to suggest that occupation should be considered a factor is damn near laughable. The male mentality towards women in any space is the issue that’s being skirted and a change to the collective mindset is the next order of business. Kerala’s motion to bring women into the fold is commendable but as long as Indian women feel a pang of fear as they walk out their front doors, let’s not pretend that this is progress.

Featured image courtesy New York Times