00:00Hi, I'm advocate Nidhi Singh, founder of NRI Legal Services, wishing you glorious creatures a very, very happy Women's Day.
00:12I'm going to share certain things with you that is at least, I hope, going to make you think on
00:19certain things regarding the status of women in the society around us.
00:24And even for those who actually think that they do not have any disparity or any wedge or they do
00:33not look at women as unempowered, maybe a few startling facts would make you think.
00:42Recently, there was a property that was bought in my name and I had gone to the registrar's office to
00:49get it registered.
00:50When I was getting my property registered, it occurred to me that there were close to 600 to 700 people
00:59present.
01:00And guess what? There was not a single woman present at the sub-registerer's office.
01:08It was a complete swarm of men all around me.
01:13And I actually asked, I said, why are there only men?
01:19And laughingly, one of the people said that, because most of the properties are bought by men.
01:27And I said, really? I mean, I was the only woman.
01:32And then I actually did some research.
01:35Do you want to know how many women actually own properties in their sole names in India?
01:447%
01:45And in total, how many women own sole properties and co-own properties in India?
01:58The percentage is 10% to 12%.
02:02And that too has started to marginally increase after passing of the amendment in 2005 in the Hindu Succession Act,
02:14where women have been now given equal rights in the property.
02:18Only after that, a little bit more improvement in numbers have happened.
02:23But seriously, guys, 10% to 12% of the women population own properties in India.
02:32And we actually think women are empowered.
02:37Women actually need no empowerment.
02:41The society just do not need to disempower them.
02:48The fathers, the brothers, the people around.
02:53They do not need to deprive them of their natural legal rights.
03:01It's a legal right that each and every woman can today inherit a property.
03:07But really, how many of them really do?
03:12As a lawyer, I see so many cases coming to me where fathers have made a will not giving anything
03:21to their girl child
03:23and coming up with all sorts of excuses saying that, no, the property has to go to the sons.
03:30I have seen people changing the very nature of the property from ancestral to non-ancestral
03:39so that the women are not allowed to get into the property or claim their rights in the property.
03:48So, with this kind of a scenario around us,
03:53how do you think women can really feel empowered?
03:57They cannot.
04:00So, to women, I am going to say three things.
04:03Nobody is going to give you anything.
04:07You have to understand that.
04:09Because nobody really gives anything to anyone.
04:12You are a complete hole in yourself.
04:17You do not need to be empowered.
04:20Get a professional education.
04:23Get a job.
04:26And be emotionally and physically strong.
04:29That's my message to all women.
04:35Do not have a child till you as a woman can independently raise that child,
04:43whether you have anybody's support or not.
04:48You do not need to be dependent on anyone to be able to take care of yourself and your children.
04:58There are so many marriages where women are not happy but they are just there for the sake of their
05:07children
05:08because they are dependent on their husbands.
05:13It is so very important to know that you yourself have to empower yourself.
05:21And that is my firm message to all women.
05:27Before you think that a father, a brother, a husband or a son will empower you or are protecting you
05:40or are caring for your safety,
05:42look a little deeper.
05:45However, is your father giving you equal rights in the property vis-a-vis a son?
05:50Where there are two daughters, there is no problem.
05:53Where there is one daughter, there is no problem.
05:56Where there are two sons, there is no problem.
05:59The problem only comes when there is one son and one daughter.
06:05Is your father giving you equal rights in the property compared to the sons?
06:10Then say, yes, your father is protecting you.
06:16Is your husband giving you the financial freedom to do what you want?
06:23Then you can say, the husband is protecting you.
06:27Do not get trapped in mere words.
06:31So many women I meet, they are financially independent.
06:36They are doing jobs.
06:37They have their own money, but their finances are being controlled by their husbands.
06:44Do not let that happen.
06:46Every woman can teach herself to be financially aware, to be financially literate,
06:56to take care of her own financial health herself.
07:02It is so very important for all women to understand that they are fully capable
07:11and do not need anyone's protection or safety.
07:15If somebody is protecting you, then that person would be making you stronger.
07:22And if that is happening, only then accept that.
07:27I want to tell mothers of daughters, mothers of a girl child,
07:33that a weak mother leads to a weaker girl child.
07:39Train your daughter to be financially independent.
07:43Do not condition her just to get married and leave your home.
07:51Teach her to be emotionally strong.
07:55Teach her to be physically strong.
07:59Teach your child judo karate.
08:03So that if somebody slaps her, she kicks him in the groin.
08:10Do not teach your child to accept any kind of abuse.
08:16Verbal abuse, physical abuse, financial abuse, moral abuse.
08:26Daughters are equal in all respects.
08:32Teach your daughter dignity.
08:36Teach your daughter self-respect.
08:39Teach your daughter to earn money for herself
08:43and not and never be dependent on anyone.
08:46As a mother, that is your only role.
08:50Don't teach her about looking beautiful only.
08:54She is beautiful.
08:55Don't teach her only about fashion and jewelry and money.
09:02Teach her to be a complete, wholesome human being.
09:08And it is a mother's job to do that.
09:11I have seen daughters exact replicas of their mother.
09:17If you want your daughter to be strong,
09:20then you be strong yourself.
09:22Do not think of your daughters as liabilities.
09:29Think of them as your greatest assets.
09:33Teach them what it is to be a strengthened human being.
09:40And if you do not empower or if you do not do justice with your daughter
09:46and marry her off,
09:48that her husband will take care of her.
09:50That's not going to happen.
09:55Don't think that you can pick up your daughter and put her in someone's house and she will be happy
10:01there.
10:01It's your responsibility to make sure that nobody treats her badly.
10:06First, stop treating her unequally yourself.
10:12If you are a father who wants his daughter to be happy,
10:17make sure equal opportunities in every way is given to that girl child.
10:24The paradigm shift has to happen on a societal level.
10:29We all love to talk about it.
10:30But how many of us actually practice us?
10:33The stark reality of how much abuse is going on in our houses
10:40and how much abuse women are taking is now no longer a mystery.
10:45The statistics are there.
10:47The reports, the journals, the law reports, they're all stating the same.
10:53Help women become the best versions of themselves.
10:57They will help you.
10:58They do not need help.
11:00Do not deprive them.
11:02And bring them beautifully as the glorious creatures that they are.
11:09And they will be an asset to the society as a whole.
Comments