Come 8th of March and the better half of the world goes into a frenzy. The non-stop barrage of feel-good messages, inspirational quotes and motivational memes permeate the environment. Women are made to feel special and privileged by everyone. Men are on backfoot and wary of this new insurgent women-power which threatens to dislocate their firmly established supremacy in all things that matter.
Feminists brigade go on a rampage, dismantling the age old, rigid shackles and moribund traditions which hold women enslaved morally and socially. How appealing that sounds and how liberating too!! It's as if all the hot talkshows and cool social media memes have actually made a difference to the status of women in India!!
Most of us revel in this extra attention given to us around Women's day and some 'gullible us' actually start believing it.
Unfortunately, we happen to live in a bubble, for nothing actually changes for us. There are some cosmetic changes (few upbeat articles and sundry cheers) but the ground reality remains the same.
The majority of women continue playing second fiddle to the men (sometimes women too) in their lives and a substantial number put a facade of happy faces while tending to their broken spirits and shattered dreams. The homemakers are shortchanged for they never get their dues or enough credit from their families or society while the working women are invariably forced to compromise on their professional and/or personal front despite slogging it out. Both remain frustrated, envious and wistful about not having had a better shot at life!
Ladies, those of you who sail in the same boat as above, its time to swim out of deep waters, come to the surface, catch a deep breath and take stock of your life. Only one question needs to be asked of your inner self, 'Are you content with your life the way it is?' The answer to it will pave the way for your future course of action.
To those ladies who are actually happy doing/being who they are, the self-appointed moral guardians of society needn't judge them.
For eg. -
If mrs.Khanna is happy doing nothing else but being a socialite or painting the town red with her kitty party gang then so be it. We can't look down upon her for her perceived frivolity.
If mrs Gupta is happy being a stern school teacher and giving tutions while hating cooking, we can't condemn her for lacking 'homely' skills.
If Mrs.Khan likes to keep 40 days roza yet wear jeans and dresses outside her home, then we can't label her a hypocrite.
If Ms. Tina/ Rina etc.is a successful professional at 30 plus with a steady boyfriend and in no mood to get hitched, we can't criticise her supposedly 'loose character' or whatever!
As long as these females are happy in their state of life, whether out of choice or circumstances, the world and his wife have no mean business casting aspersions upon them.
One significant social observation I've made is that a sizeable chunk of women have had their choices made for them by their parents and later their husbands but they are happy nonetheless, because things have worked out just fine for them and they have no complaints whatsoever with their lives.
Hence any debate of women empowerment or 'making your own choices in life' etc etc has no relevance for them. They need no dictates or homilies. They would rather laugh at people trying to prick pins in their contented life by insane talks of womens lib. According to them their happy state of mind gives them wings to fly and feel liberated.
In contrast to this enviable breed of happy-go-lucky women, there are the 'silently suffering souls' who go through the gamut of daily life with discontentment and disillusionment. They are the ones who ought to reassess and rethink about their lives and how to better it. Gaining confidence and becoming assertive are 2 good ways to have a say in your own life and changing the status quo if it makes you uncomfortable. Stop putting yourselves last. If you have the courage to say," I don't feel it is right" or "I don't feel like doing it right now", you are a living breathing example of women's liberation.
So women of the world & especially of my country, I urge you to live life as confident, content human beings without apologising for your gender or treating it as a handicap. It shouldn't be used as a tool either to gain leverage in sticky situations.
Women, irrespective of their nationality, religion, economic & social status, are a wonderful marvel of God and so let's respect our creator by respecting ourselves first. Others will follow suit!
# happywomen'sday
