SHAKTI!

When I saw  NASA’s launch of the space vehicle discovery, my heart leapt to say goodbye to Sunitha Williams.  Now women are putting up space stations and having moon walks!!.. Could we, in India, have imagined women moving out of their own houses in the pre-independence era?, leave alone houses, atleast kitchens??..In a country where systems like sati were followed and women were never allowed to get any education, things are changing quite quickly today.

                        From madisaaru (the classical nine yards saree), we have come to wear jeans. While today’s woman boasts wearing men’s attires, men can never imagine getting into a skirt! On a broader scale, what are men wearing pink shirts with orange pants called?.. Some fashion-friendly people may say “metrosexual”, to get away with it, but they are actually termed crazy! Sparing the big As and Bs of Bollywood, none of the men get thru easily with the metrosexuality tag. But women on the other hand, could try any combo. They are instead praised for being fashion conscious!

            Take the more serious issue of expressiveness. Women are found to be natural when they cry or laugh aloud. But poor men, when they show expressions in their eyes, they are doomed to disgusting comments like,” why do u cry like a girl?”. That’s the end of the man’s freedom for expression. I don’t find anything wrong with any human being expressing him/herself (unless it’s harmful to the other’s freedom about the same!). Women easily get away with their emotional highs and lows, simply because they are women!!!.. Isn’t that too easy?(Now I know, why more men than women, die of heart attacks!)

            When it comes to managing the house and the carrier together, today’s women are a class apart from their male counterparts. They can both sing a lullaby for their child and tally the accounts of their company’s complex transactions! The best example would be Indra Nooyi, CEO, Pepsico, who was voted the fourth most powerful woman in the world. As an article goes:  “While her job requires high-octane energy, its her calm demeanor that helps her play the roles of a good mother and wife.” The world has rapidly changed in its perspective of a modern woman (read as modern wife and mother). But have men changed in their mythical perspectives of an ideal wife yet? Although there are men who talk fiercely about equality, and to a good extent share a women’s work, can they completely step into a woman’s shoes and bear the emotional and physical pains? Women calmly go through eyebrow-twitching sessions and pregnancy, with the same ease, something which no man can ever imagine.

            When there is much hype created about gender equality, it’s doubtful even now about the extent to which it is practiced in day to day life. Can women travel or walk safely in the streets after the twilight? The cases of sexual harassment are common among both the poor as well as the educated and rich families.  Even now dowry raises its ugly head from time to time. The law that talks about safety for women doesn’t seem to be of much help till women around the world gather to fight these social evils.

And as far as the objectification of women is concerned, I am dead against the quote, “Men are from mars , women are from venus”. Who said we are mere beauties and men alone are the brains?  When I read an article showing statistical data of why there are lesser women in reputed institutions like the IIT, I felt that this biased society is one major reason. Why should girl children be told that boys are better in math or science? If equal encouragement is provided, both the genders can do better in education as well as their social lives. While boys are encouraged to fight and shout back at the teasers along roadside, girls are asked to ignore such bad comments. If a girl shouts back, she is tagged arrogant by the society. At this rate, when will equality creep in our day to day life?? When will people develop a broader outlook???

We are truly on the road to equality, comparative to our past. But being a feminist, I want every woman to make her mark in the society. I want every woman to see this world as a woman’s world, her world! She should come out of all her fears and face the cruelness around. Let her not feel thankful for being given an opportunity, but realize that it’s their birthright!! Let there be an awakening in the awe-struck souls from the enlightened ones!! Let the world know the feminine power- shakti!!