In Another World, Women Receive Respect

What if women were given 1/4th of the respect men were given?

A Quarter Turns Towards Respect

By Sayali

Imagine this: overnight, Indian society has a sudden shift in consciousness. Not a full blown revolution, because how dare we even imagine that. But somehow, magically, women receive a quarter of what they've been fighting for for centuries. We get 1/4th of the respect men get.

And somehow, bizarrely… things start to look better.

Not utopian by any means, but… better.

Before we begin, I would like for our dear readers to absorb a fact. We live in an absurd reality wherein women have to beg, plead, fight, run and be judged just to be treated as human beings. To earn a portion of conditional respect that men are entitled to the second they're born. And in this world, our real, present world, gaining even 10% respect is a relief, its reassurance to women that all the pain and hard work was worth it. Being treated as lesser citizens is a relief. At least now they have some respect, however conditional it may be, they have it.

Let’s break down our hypothetical world, maybe here, when a girl dains to express her opinion, she isn't immediately cut off by a louder male colleague. Sure, they all may not listen, but half smirks is definitely better than fully ignored… Right?

Female athletes get a fourth of the coverage taken up by their male counterparts. They’re still asked “Who’s taking care of your kids?”. But they at least get some coverage now, no more “Wait, India has a women’s hockey team?” At least we have that as consolation.

Women in STEM get to speak up, without being treated like unicorns, now being treated more like a narwhal. Real, but seeming to be imaginary. They’re still underestimated and treated like peculiar citizens in their fields, but now they’re mistaken for the secretary by three people instead of the usual twelve.

Rape survivors are believed occasionally instead of almost never. A few lesser NEWS channels villainize her, treat her like a criminal. But she of course sometimes still asked  “What were you wearing?” 

Women politicians would get elected- not because the parties are progressive, but because voters take them slightly more seriously. But of course they will be subjected to twice the amount of scrutiny as compared to the men in the field. But that's an upgrade from four times.

Actresses would stop being called “item numbers” or “too old at 30.” Some directors start writing female characters with actual depth and personality instead of just “worships the hero.” Out of these movies, one in four pass the Bechdel test. Well, at least we’re being represented.

Female doctors aren’t mistaken for the nurse nearly as often, though people will sometimes still ask for more ‘experienced’ (cough cough male) doctors. Hospitals may finally be taking their female employees' safety more seriously. May. They also might say that “hiring women just creates more problems.”

No, it’s not equality. Not yet.

But it's movement. It’s hope.

And perhaps most importantly- it’s a reminder that  respect shouldn’t be earned in fractions. It should be given freely, fully, because everyone deserves to be treated with dignity.

This thought experiment matters because in many ways, it mirrors real life. Women still navigate a world where they must work harder to be taken very seriously, where basic respect is often conditional. But even small shifts- cultural, systematic, personal- can begin to reshape the world.

If this makes you pause, that’s a good thing. It means you’re listening. Ask yourself: Do I offer equal respect to everyone around me? Do I listen? Encourage? Uplift?

Because respect isn’t something to be rationed.

It’s not a luxury.

It’s a right.

Let’s not stop at a quarter.

Let’s keep moving towards a whole.