Lilli Hlavin
Ms. Dott
25 October 2017
Dipti Kulkarni’s paint strokes lace the canvas, vocalizing her stories as an Indian woman
through the fiery embers of reds and oranges, and calming nodes of blue that she capitalized
through her elegant swipes upon the textured fabric. In her art piece, “Gender Discrimination,” the
divided canvas she painted upon represents two different lives. On one side a man, closer to the
top of the canvas surrounded by waves and strokes of calming colors, presenting the man as having
a serene, easy life. As the eyes of readers drift to the right side of the painting, they will be drawn
to a woman staggered lower on the canvas, bowing her head in shame. By studying the woman,
her facial features become evidently representative of the age-old oppression of women in the
homes of many, especially those of minorities. The idea that women are weak, defenseless, and
emotional is conveyed through the streaming tear drops that torrent the helpless woman’s face.
The woman cannot manage her emotions due to the growing blaze that begins to encompass her,
covering her entirely. The flames represent the harsh criticism and judgement that comes along
with possessing female entities in communities that resent the powerful capabilities of women.
Dipti’s collection, “Women’s Rights and Empowerment,” represents the pain and suffering that
has been passed down through generations of mothers, grandmothers and sisters and informs the
audience of the systematic oppression of women throughout the Indian culture (Dipti Kulkarni’s
Art Gallery).
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"You can tell the condition of a Nation by looking at the status of its Women” (Sharma,
Saarthak). When looking at India, what conclusion would be drawn in regards to their “status?”
Over forty-six percent of women remain illiterate in India, compared to the rate of illiteracy in
men, which is twenty-six percent. India is a relatively evolved country, slowly becoming less and
less misogynistic towards women, but those statistics continue to fuel the fire that perpetuates these
basic gender inequalities that invariably restrict women. Though the mass majority of countries
are making strides towards the improvement of legislation that supports women’s rights, a large
portion of India has not proceeded to follow suit. When a woman is not granted the knowledge
and rights necessary to pursue a future that is meaningful outside of her home, the unbalance of
the genders that currently remains will never disintegrate. Dipti’s painting represents trauma that
women in India face; as the opportunities given to men, are either out of reach, or unattainable due
to laws in place, location, wealth, or family values. Continuously prohibiting women from seeking
productive careers by restricting the opportunity for equal education ensures that men will continue
being seen and treated as the superior gender in the Indian culture. Indian culture in general can
be seen as a parallel to a bountiful amount of other countries, especially those not exposed to the
Often we impose stereotypes onto women and men, both consciously and subconsciously
alike. Toxic masculinity promotes the ignorance of possessing emotions if you are a man,
inhibiting the possibility to have natural bodily reactions, such as crying, in numerous situations.
In the American school system, the majority of children begin school in kindergarten. In
kindergarten, expectations of how males should appropriately handle their feelings have not been
drilled into their feeble and naive minds yet. As they move into first grade, and then onto second
grade, “male indoctrination begins” (Nelson, Psychology Today). Psychology Today suggests that
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“what [one emotion] is okay for one, isn't okay for the other,” eluding to the different spectrum of
emotions for the genders. Men are seen as aggressive and macho, whereas women are viewed as
delicate, fragile, and in some cases, given the label of being “hormonal” if they show any form of
aggression. This piece of art effectively shows the different range of emotions women are
recognized as being born with, while also showcasing the “strength" and withholding of emotions
that men are taught to maintain throughout their life. Teaching men and women to express and
communicate their feelings in ways specific to their own genders, bolsters unhealthy expectations
for both men and women, which will down the line make the incapable of functioning properly in
one hundred percent of the issues that will undoubtedly present themselves.
“72% of people… [in India say that]… opportunities are equal between genders, including
68% of women” (Doward, The Observer). If this is truly the case, and seventy-two percent of
people in India believe that equal opportunities are equal, then why is art like this being produced
and discussed in forums around the world? Why is there a such a dire request for inclusivity and
the development of programs that go out of their way to promote gender equality if the genders
are indeed equal? It is because in countries like India, the majority of men and women have not
been exposed to the benefits of gender equality, and deep rooted issues that gender inequalities
possess due to the fact they are not included in the information sharing of the western world. As
of 2011, only slightly over ten percent of India used the internet (Doward). Without the internet,
everything is literally and figuratively slower. Mankind wouldn’t have access to a large fraction
of the information we are exposed to today that allows us to partake in the solution to our most
pertinent issues. So this is why when only ten percent of an entire country has and uses the internet,
it is almost impossible for them to be as functional and up-to-date as the rest of the world. This
leads the country (continuing with the example of India) blindly into thinking that their culture is
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the most efficient way to function, thus neglecting the needs of their own people in regards to
equality. “…According to the UN’s gender inequality index, India comes bottom of the 23
countries surveyed by Ipsos” (Doward). How can we expect a country that is not capable of
reaching the rest of the world, to understand the systematic oppression of their women?
Through her art, Dipti provokes a greater issue that resides in her everyday life; the
inequalities of the genders and the emotional effects it has on women, and the lack thereof of
emotional reactions and recognition of these issues in men. Dipti Kulkarni’s piece effectively
vocalizes the everyday Indian woman's struggle to acquire her basic rights that every man is
granted from their first step on this Earth. Her purpose of making this artwork and collection has
been achieved. The purpose of making this collection was to allow those looking in from the
outside (men) to be exposed and encouraged to recognize their privilege in the judicial, social,
economic, and educational aspects of life. When looking at this painting, the message rings loud
and clear: men are seen as superior and stronger than women. In this case, men are seen as
hierarchically better than women, and in order to advocate for the demolition of these extremely
prominent and toxic belief and treatment systems. The interpretation of this painting is based solely
on where the viewer stands in today’s systems. But the effect is the same. Women and men both
deserve the same equality. And with this painting, we are one step closer to achieving it.
Work Cited
Doward, Jamie. “Women Have Achieved Equality at Long Last ... According to Men.” The
jan/29/women-inequality-survey
Nelson, Audrey. “Why Don't Many Men Show Their Emotions?” Psychology Today, Sussex
201501/why-don-t-many-men-show-their-emotions
womens_situation_India.html
my-gallery/woman-rights-and-empowerment