Tamil Nadu Minister says women in North India still judged by husbands, sparks row

Tamil Nadu Industries Minister TRB Rajaa sparked controversy by comparing societal attitudes toward women in Tamil Nadu and North India.

Addressing the audience at an event held at Ethiraj College for Women, TRB Rajaa said, “There is a difference between being a woman in Tamil Nadu and in any other state in India. 100 years ago, Indian women were not even considered humans. The situation remains unchanged in North India. In North India, when we meet a woman, the first question is, where does your husband work? In Tamil Nadu, the question asked of a woman is, where do you work? This change doesn’t happen overnight. It took a century of work, at least in Tamil Nadu.”

Rajaa’s comments were supported by DMK senior leader TKS Elangovan, who added, “Women in North India are often confined to b