Why Women's Phone Are Always Under The Scrutiny Of Men?

It was 93 years ago when Virginia Woolf published, A Room Of One’s Own who knew years later we will be needing an analogous titled, ‘A phone of one’s own’. Look around and you will find that all of us hold a smartphone, people of different ages, genders, classes, everyone. Yet, somewhere in this curve people lack literal control over their phones. Women. Women's mobile phone is treated as a family gadget. Anyone can check, anytime they wish. The question is why?

In many Indian households, women are always under the scrutiny of others. The decision about whom they can talk to, how they will talk is made for them. In these predetermined choices, mobile acts like a loophole. It gave women a look at the outside world, within the two- dimension screen and three-dimension room. And that’s where the story begins.

From the last dialed number to the total number of photos in their gallery they pave their way through all of it. A contact was saved as a man’s name. 700 people on Instagram! When did you wear these clothes? Why is this app on your phone? Texting at 2 am. Why? Why?

For centuries the gate to the world has been closed for women but the phone opened a window to peek outside.

It is as if a mobile phone is a gateway to someone’s character. What’s stored in those gadgets could tell what kind of person they are. Guess what! That’s not how it works. They could have 1000 motivational quotes and still feel like a loser every morning.

For centuries the gate to the world has been closed for women but the internet/phone opened a window to peek outside. This declaration that now women too can experience the world which has been hidden from them for years, scares the self appointed flag bearers of patriarchy.

Men Check Women's Phone - Why is it normal?

Through social media women can open small businesses or through YT they can learn new skills, or news apps could provide them with stories around the world and all of it can provide women with a sense of individuality and financial independence.

When a man audits a woman’s mobile, he acts on the idea that women are inferior to her and that’s why she could be controlled. He doesn't do that to keep her safe from the outside, but to subconsciously declare to that woman that she is not safe even inside.

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Many times in these circumstances men gave excuses like, ‘The money you bought it from is mine, so I have the right to check it,’ Actually NO! You do not have any right to intrude on someone's privacy. Asking for a mobile that no one check is way too much expectation from Indian households.

Suggested Reading: Men Are Handed The Control Of Women’s Lives Because They Are Seen As “Providers”

The daily/weekly/monthly or even surprise mobile checking happens, to keep a woman in control, both literally and subconsciously. Do they care about how many photos you took in a day? NO. They care about the fact when, where, and with whom you took those photos and esp. What you are wearing in those photographs? They don’t care what name you used, to save for a particular contact, they only want to know the face behind that number, the gender of that person, and sadly their caste and religion too. Because your choices and decisions scared them. They Fear that you will be free and they will not be able to do anything about it. They are more than intimidated that if you understand your worth, it will be harder to bring you down.

So, dear women. Hold your guard and draw the boundaries that should be there. It will not be a cake walk but no matter how hard it is, it will be worth it. You deserve to rule your own life.

Views expressed are author’s own.