Disclaimer : The events, characters and entities involved in this write-up are fictional. Any resemblance to any actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
I wake up, you too; I clean myself up and you do the same; we do the munching; come to office; work for 9 hours; have fun at work meeting people and attending to deliverables; come back home; enjoy rest of the day; have a satisfying dinner and doze-off ! Daily routine... encompassed in one line.
Do you see any difference? I
don't. Do you think there's a difference? Me neither. Do you feel there is a
difference? I do.
Gender equality is a rational
phenomenon. Reality draws a different picture. We have overcome those days when
females used to sit back and take care of family; or rather I should put it
this way - they were 'supposed' to take care of family. Today, this situation
has optimistically changed, however, not entirely. We still come across women
finding it hard to live their dreams, do what they wish to do. Shall we speak about 40 year-old Kanta
bai who couldn't study much because her father couldn't afford?; or 35 year-old
Sunita teacher who dreamt of pursuing higher studies before her parents got her
married early? or 27 year-old Miss. Ankita who is juggling between
decision-making phase of her life - career Vs. marriage? or 33 year-old Mrs.
Shradha who has a perfect family but struggles to make a place for herself with
her male counterparts at office? or 18 year-old Nikita who falls prey to
drooling men everyday she walks out of her home? or 38 year-old Miss. Shikha
who doesn't want to provide explanation to thousands of ears looking forward to
hear why is she still unmarried? or 45 year-old super successful business woman
Mrs. Neha, one of the executive heads at her company, who enjoys her lavish
glass cabin which looks at the Mumbai sea-link but is unhappy by her husband's
behavior towards her? or 60 year-old Mrs. Geeta who is fearful of her husband's
bad temper even today when they have journeyed 50 odd years of their marriage?
Different lives, different
stories, different reasons, different perceptions, different circumstances, one
protagonist - a woman.
Recently we celebrated
International Women's Day universally. Earlier I used to think why is there a
need to celebrate a day like this?!? Why are there empowerment sessions for
working women?!? The more I thought on this regard, the more I felt it pictures
a woman in weaker domain, abala naari
as she is profusely addressed. Deeper I dived into aspects, it was then that it
dawned upon me - it is needed. Not all
are contented with the situations they are in. Being an Indian woman myself, I
would like to exercise my right to free speech and say it outloud - it 'is'
difficult to position yourself in a strong role and live freely in this
still-male-dominated Indian society who sees women unequal to men. We have
amazing hypocrites who love their mothers, daughters and sisters by their
hearts and showcase maneuvering capabilities at promoting a deserving lady at their
organization! I would like to pose a question to the readers. How many
sentences/queries/articles/proverbs do you come across any time during your day
which has inclusion of references to 'she' along with 'he'? For instance, if you go to a customer service office of any
service area and ask for examples for a certain case, you will always get to hear
'Madam, if 'he' is a customer then 'he' should do this xyz thing to get 'his'
problem fixed. The simple point is, it should be 'he/she' while speaking
referentially. We are so habituated to certain things that such occurrences
hardly matter to us. Whereas, truth is, these unknown gestures (may or may not
be meaningful) are a reflection of societal behavior. We call ourselves
educated while majority of us are simply literates. There is a thin line
between 'education' and 'literacy' which few of us realize.
Though we have come out of ages
where women found it challenging to get out of their houses, we still have families
believing in old practices, especially for women. Orthodox thinking still
prevails. Well, I'm now thinking of writing an exclusive article on the
'what-will-people-say' syndrome which is significant in our society and strangling
it harder ! Why should a woman be scared of walking alone on the streets? Why
should she be always shielded beneath thousands of layers of uncomfortable
Indian wear, forcefully ? Why should she be thoughtful of her behavior towards
strangers? Why should she be hidden, protected, guarded, ordered, forced by
others? Just because she has a dysfunctional vagina !!
This article is nor anti-male
neither demeaning men. Its purpose is yet another small attempt to make realize
what is already known, written, voiced, explained, appealed and striding
towards gaining strength. I have a wonderful father, super supportive brother ,senior
male executives from my work life whom I admire deeply and a host of trustworthy
male friends. But that doesn't make me fearless of getting into troubles when
no one from these people is around me. All I have to follow is - be alert, be defensive,
be courageous, believe in myself, say 'no' to what I feel I shouldn't go for,
hold my head up high and greet the world with a sparkling smile - a smile which
is unforgettable.
It feels great to see innumerable
women personalities holding honorable positions. There have been success
stories written about women, as men. Why? In order to spread the word that the
fairer sex is equally capable of handling responsibilities and prove equally
well in decision-making.
I'm not here to change the world
overnight. This is not a me-against-the-world story. It's just about logical thinking which is sadly very uncommon. Women
are not weak, they do not need sympathy. All they need is respect. Not to look down, but to look upto.
My physical strength may or may not succumb
to unwelcomed forceful gestures. My mental strength may or may not hold me
together to face inhuman deeds. I'll still be strong and never cease to aspire
till I have the sky above and the road below me...!
Embrace your womanhood. It's a gift.
