Man Tears Wife's Exam Sheet: Why Women Still Struggle For Education

What happens when dreams are shattered? A woman is left to cry and feel helpless about the life that was forced on her. A video of a woman sobbing recently went viral from Chhatrasal College of Shivpuri district, Madhya Pradesh. In the video, she was weeping looking at her torn answer sheets in the exam hall. What exactly happened to her? 

The woman, identified as Aarti Lodhi, was appearing for her third-year Sociology exam. While she was writing the exam, her husband Manmohan Lodhi stormed into the hall and tore her answer sheet, opposing her attempt to appear for it. Lodhi reiterated his unwillingness to his wife’s aspiration of pursuing education. Aarti burst into tears seeing her torn answer sheet at the premises of the women’s college. The woman had left her matrimonial house due to ongoing disputes. She then filled out the form and decided to take exams at her parent’s place. 

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Aarti represents countless women who are forced to either drop out or not pursue education at all. A report by CRY shows a 66% dropout rate because of marriage and 65% household chores constraints, causing hindrances for women to pursue education. The dropout rate for girls attending higher secondary is 12.3 per cent, as per a report. Do educated women pose a challenge to society? So, why it bothers society so much? Why is this sort of aggression used as a tool to keep women away from what they want? How long will women continue to endure such acts? 

Man Tore Wife's Exam Sheet In Madhya Pradesh

Look at the audacity of this man, who literally barged into exams and tore his wife's papers. Was that man even a little scared of the authorities? Why is it that such shallow insecurities lead men to do everything but support women in their lives? The male ego is so fragile that it can't see women progress or make their own decisions. 

Besides, the woman in the video was reportedly staying separately from her husband. The man's stunt appears to be a way to trouble the woman and not let her live in peace. If she is collecting the shattered pieces of her life and moving forward to build a life, what is the problem? This was just a way to induce fear in the woman and humiliate her publicly. Humiliation is used as a weapon to stop women from making moves to a better future. There is a probability that a woman will think twice before thinking of giving exams and entering the same hall where she was once humiliated. 

Most of the time society runs on what people will say. This entire episode for Aarti will become 'what people will say'. It is more horrible to read the comment section, where people are justifying the husband's actions. One of the users pointed out that she should have not married if she was so passionate about education. We live in a society where parents say 'Do whatever you want after marriage', now people say 'She should have not married if education was the path.' She was slammed for playing the victim card. Isn't that insensitive? 

This is not the first incident where women have faced such aggression because of their husbands' reluctance. Earlier, an incident from Uttar Pradesh surfaced, where a man stopped his wife from attending coaching class as he feared she would clear the exam and leave him. A woman in Delhi who aspired to work for an additional source of income was hit multiple times with bricks by her father-in-law. Why do men think women's success will challenge their manhood? It also raises the need to respect individual choices in matters of education and employment. Instead of creating a supportive and encouraging environment for women pursuing higher studies, some men are sulking over their bruised egos. 

In Aarti's case, authorities at Chhatrasal College promptly handed over Manmohan to the police, but Aarti reportedly asked authorities not to intervene as it was a family matter. 

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