If China allows Indian immigration, over a hundred million Indian women would be willing to move there.

India has long been regarded as one of the worst countries in the world for women's rights.

According to statistical data, a woman in India is assaulted every 18 minutes on average, revealing the severe situation faced by women in the country.

In fact, the BBC once ranked India as "the most dangerous country for women," sparking widespread attention and discussion internationally.

British scholar John Ross made a sharp remark, stating that if China allowed Indian women to immigrate, he confidently believed that millions of Indian women would cross the Himalayas to seek a better life in China.

This comment prompted deep reflection on the current situation of Indian women: Is their reality truly so harsh?

On August 9, 2023, a female Indian medical student was assaulted and brutally murdered by a man in a hospital, a heinous crime that triggered nationwide outrage and protests.

More than 300,000 healthcare workers went on strike to protest society's violent treatment of women.

This tragedy is not an isolated case but rather a reflection of the low status of women in India.

According to official Indian statistics, over 405,000 crimes against women were reported in 2019.

By 2020, an average of 19 women were murdered each day, and every 25 minutes, a housewife chose to commit suicide.

Behind these statistics lies the systemic discrimination against women in Indian society.

In India, men often see their wives as private property, believing that they must fully comply with their will.

This patriarchal mindset makes independent action extremely dangerous for women in Indian society.

In Indian society, single women who go out alone are often seen by other men as "unclaimed property," and they may even be considered objects that can be violated at will.

As a result, group assaults are frequent in India.

Even more troubling is the fact that India's male population outnumbers the female population by approximately 45 million, a vast gender imbalance that keeps a large number of single men in a state of heightened "sexual tension," further fueling violence against women.

Those who have watched the Indian movie *Dangal* might be shocked by the depiction of rural India's "son preference" phenomenon.

However, this is not fiction. In traditional Indian culture, only sons are considered true heirs, while daughters are regarded as "money-losing propositions."

This traditional belief has led to a lower enrollment rate for girls compared to boys in India, with female literacy rates falling below 50%. Women also face widespread discrimination in the job market.

Additionally, Indian society commonly views menstruation as impure, and many factories even refuse to hire women during their menstrual periods.

Although Indian women are already at a disadvantage in terms of population, they still need to prepare a substantial dowry for marriage, a practice that has even led to child marriages in some regions, severely limiting women's freedom and development.

Despite India proclaiming itself as "the world's largest democracy," why does the status of women remain so low?

This is closely related to the deeply ingrained male-dominated mentality in Indian society.

This mindset did not form overnight; rather, it is the result of millennia of accumulation.

It is well known that India's caste system and religious beliefs divide society into multiple layers, and this system also separates men and women.

One of the foundations of the caste system is the belief in reincarnation, with Indians believing that suffering in this life will be rewarded in the next.

As a result, Indian society places great importance on matters after death.

However, Hinduism stipulates that only sons can perform funeral rites for deceased elders, allowing the departed to rest in peace.

Thus, women are regarded as less important than men from birth. The existence of the dowry system further exacerbates this gender discrimination.

In ordinary Indian families, daughters are not only seen as "idlers" but also as a financial burden, as their weddings require a significant dowry.

On the other hand, men believe that once they marry, they will bear all the responsibilities for their wives, and women's sole purpose is to bear children.

Therefore, it seems only natural to demand dowries from the bride's family.

After marriage, Indian women are usually viewed as their husband's "property" and must follow their husband's will under strict control.

This concept has also led to the phenomenon of "honor killings," where families or communities believe that women who break certain traditions or rules should be "eliminated."

This long-standing gender discrimination has even penetrated the legal system, causing Indian laws to favor men in certain cases. According to international organizations, the actual rate of rape cases in India is severely underreported.

Even though women are the victims, they are often viewed as inherently "guilty" in Indian society, and law enforcement officers and judges may even believe that the women "tempted" the men.

As a result, many Indian women do not report assaults, knowing that they will not receive the help they deserve and may instead face blame and humiliation from society.

In even worse cases, traditional Indian beliefs require the victim to marry her assailant to "restore honor," and there are even tragic instances of women being "honor killed" by their families.

Despite the low status of Indian women, there is hope.

As early as 1947, when India gained independence, its constitution enshrined gender equality, banned gender discrimination, and abolished male privileges.

Since then, the Indian government has enacted several laws aimed at combating gender discrimination, banning large dowries, abolishing honor killings, and ending arranged marriages.

Indian films have also reflected on women's rights issues, such as the movie *Pad Man*, based on a true story, which tells of a man breaking societal taboos to produce sanitary products for women.

These films expose the plight of Indian women and provide momentum for social change.

In recent years, with the rising literacy and employment rates among Indian women, their status in society has been gradually improving.

However, thousands of years of gender discrimination cannot be erased overnight, and India's road to gender equality remains long.

Nevertheless, the awakening and resistance of Indian women undoubtedly bring hope for the future.