The Women of Delhi

This week has been pretty....can't find the right word...interesting (I guess that will do). Delhi is truly like no place I have ever been. When I go out into Delhi the most obvious thing is how few women are out in public. It's quite overwhelming really. I mean, there are women, but the ratio of men to women is astonishing. This week Rajiv took us to the movie theatre to see a Bollywood film (which was FABULOUS by the way!) and apart from my group there wasn't a single woman in the audience. I'm not sure what to make of this yet. When I asked questions to Rajiv, Priya, and the Indians that happen to be on this trip with me, they explained that it is still very common for women to stay at home. I'm trying really hard to not impose judgment and ask questions before I come up with conclusions, but it's admittedly difficult. I've honestly never been in a context where it's normal for a large portion of the women to wear burkas or hijabs (covering their hair), and I'm still trying to sort out my reactions. One of my fellow travelers is Palestinian and the other night we stayed up for hours talking about the difference between what is written in the Quran and how Muslim culture is practiced. I won't go into details but just know that it was a very interesting conversation and she was very patient with all my questions. But it was also very frustrating, and I hope I can learn more.
Along the same lines, the other day Rajiv discussed in detail about what constitutes an arranged marriage in India. I don't know about you but when I hear that term, "arranged marriage," I automatically assume that the woman has no choice in the matter. However, after hearing Rajiv's explanation it sounds like it's just heavy involvement by the parents which is generally welcome by the daughter (and son...by the way, gay marriage is legal in India!!!). While I throw dirty looks at my parents when they even hint at questions about my personal life, over here a girl's decision to marry is regarded as one of the biggest decisions of her life and it makes sense that the parents would be so heavily involved, and that she would invite their involvement. You wonder which method actually makes more sense. Of course forced marriages do happen, but the majority of the time the girl (and guy) can veto any suitor. In addition, it's socially acceptable for parents to put ads in the newspapers looking for suitors for their daughters. These ads are expensive so if you can afford to post an ad that automatically means you come from a wealthy family. That one really threw me for a loop! It's all just so fascinating. I've honestly never been in a context where women are being treated so differently. Women wear burkas and at the same time India has a female president.Tomorrow I start my volunteer work with the woman's empowerment center http://spowac.org/profile.html and I am extremely anxious to learn more from the women themselves. In the mean time, I have been taking precaution never going anywhere by myself and wearing clothes that completely cover me.
On a different note, I went to the Taj Majal yesterday and it did not disappoint in the least. It is one of the most extraordinary things I have ever seen and until this past April I never would have dreamed I would have had such a privilege! For those of you who don't know the story, the Taj Mahal was built in 1631 (completed 22 years later!) by emperor Shah Jahan who was so devastated by the death of his wife that it was built to honor her. She died after her 14th child birth! And to think, these days we let men get away with just giving flowers. Hmmph! Attached are photos of me at the Taj Majal, some locals who let me photograph them.