A young woman lost her life and a child has been orphaned because of the way Indian society treats women and the way it imposes conditions on their wants and needs.

Prabha Arun Kumar, 41, was on the phone to her husband when she was fatally stabbed at a park in Australian city of Sydney on Saturday night.

What was she doing in the park at night? She was walking home after work as she too shy to ask for lift or take office transport even after doing double shift as IT professional. She is survived by her husband and a nine-year-old daughter.

Prabha’s friend and flatmate Sarada Angadinani, was quoted as saying that she had repeatedly warned her friend not to walk through the park after dark. And that she always felt guilty about getting a lift home late at night, Sarada told about her friend Prabha.

Why do Indian women feel shy or guilt in asking for their rightful needs? It is because they are told by men and the society (mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and friends) that they (women) should not ask and they (women) should learn to sacrifice.

A woman is discouraged from helping herself or relishing on a dining table, she is made to do jobs with stereotype regularity and denied even basic necessities as it will be seen as a burden on the family while men splurge as if there is no tomorrow.

Under such intense pressure everyday from birth to heaven, a woman prefers to deny herself scores of things even at the cost of her dignity and life, instead of facing hellish sermons and scorn.

Indian society makes women vulnerable by putting them in difficult situations and circumstances. One can hardly find an honest person, who can claim to have equipped a woman to be strong and self-reliant.

Leaving the cliche of Women’s Day (March 8) we as a society should purposefully change our mindset to respect women and their needs.