Hello peoples! Hope you are enjoying the heat in that end of the world as I shiver on grey days in this end of the world. But I'm happy - I had a great birthday. And I know me as I am today, ready to journey on the paths to find inner balance, alone, and choosing to be so.
Anyway, why I write this today is after reading this wonderfully worded article about feminism, again a reaction to statements made by mainstream Bollywood actresses. But my dear author, you disappoint me deeply with your words.
Just let me be clear. According to the Oxford dictionary, feminism means the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes and this means that the movement of feminism was brought about to help women, so that there would be equality in society and let us be very clear that this movement focused on the much needed uplifting of women in society. As a young woman of the 21st century I have many people to be grateful to and much to thank all those people, who turned the world so that women like me could be where we are today.
I don't know how feminism is perceived in the rest of the world, because places I have been to outside of India are far ahead of us in dealing with gender related discrimination. Do we need feminism in India? Yes, we do. Badly. But in a nation where corruption and lying is second nature, how can we truly trust even women, where we have had more than one instance of women lying and deceiving the rest of the world about what truly happened. Be it men who commit suicide when women threaten to complain about dowry or the famous eve teaser picture upload where the woman allegedly exaggerated in her complaint about what really happened.
It's not about the word feminism. No, not really. It's the fright of being associated with a negative term, which we, women, have exploited and misused to get away with a lot of shameful things. Those famous lines ek aurat hi aurat ka dard samajh sakti hai (only another woman can understand a woman's pain) holds true lesser and lesser with each passing day for me. I also admit that in comparison with the crimes against women by men, the numbers are definitely much lower, although growing steadily. How are we the "fairer" sex and the "better" halves then?
It doesn't matter to me if Parineeti said she doesn't want to be a feminist. But if by being a role model she encourages such movements and indeed inspires women, I'd rather take that than someone who claims to be a feminist and all she does is believe any woman without verifying facts.
I personally use the term equalism, and I always explain why I use it. Women need opportunities, but not equal opportunities. There are many things can do just as well as men, no doubt. But family and children will always be the first priority for many women. So not all women can do the typical 9-5 jobs all their employable lives.
I believe that women should be provided with opportunities such that they progress equally in society. Give them the chance to use their talents and skills more flexibly, allowing them to be just as financially independent as men. Instead of encouraging "boys will be boys", let the girls believe that there is more to their future than getting a job for a degree and preparing themselves to be 'suitable' for men, there is more than having to give up on your jobs, dreams and careers simply because you want nature to take its course to have a family.
Can we, as a society, work on these thoughts? Can we make more opportunities, more appropriate opportunities, different opportunities for women? Where women do not have to fight tooth and nail to make it to the top among men with brighter chances, but have healthy competition amongst each other because they know there are more women in their field, who could finally understand each other?
I think this was what feminism wanted to achieve in the first place.
Anyway, why I write this today is after reading this wonderfully worded article about feminism, again a reaction to statements made by mainstream Bollywood actresses. But my dear author, you disappoint me deeply with your words.
Just let me be clear. According to the Oxford dictionary, feminism means the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes and this means that the movement of feminism was brought about to help women, so that there would be equality in society and let us be very clear that this movement focused on the much needed uplifting of women in society. As a young woman of the 21st century I have many people to be grateful to and much to thank all those people, who turned the world so that women like me could be where we are today.
I don't know how feminism is perceived in the rest of the world, because places I have been to outside of India are far ahead of us in dealing with gender related discrimination. Do we need feminism in India? Yes, we do. Badly. But in a nation where corruption and lying is second nature, how can we truly trust even women, where we have had more than one instance of women lying and deceiving the rest of the world about what truly happened. Be it men who commit suicide when women threaten to complain about dowry or the famous eve teaser picture upload where the woman allegedly exaggerated in her complaint about what really happened.
It's not about the word feminism. No, not really. It's the fright of being associated with a negative term, which we, women, have exploited and misused to get away with a lot of shameful things. Those famous lines ek aurat hi aurat ka dard samajh sakti hai (only another woman can understand a woman's pain) holds true lesser and lesser with each passing day for me. I also admit that in comparison with the crimes against women by men, the numbers are definitely much lower, although growing steadily. How are we the "fairer" sex and the "better" halves then?
It doesn't matter to me if Parineeti said she doesn't want to be a feminist. But if by being a role model she encourages such movements and indeed inspires women, I'd rather take that than someone who claims to be a feminist and all she does is believe any woman without verifying facts.
I personally use the term equalism, and I always explain why I use it. Women need opportunities, but not equal opportunities. There are many things can do just as well as men, no doubt. But family and children will always be the first priority for many women. So not all women can do the typical 9-5 jobs all their employable lives.
I believe that women should be provided with opportunities such that they progress equally in society. Give them the chance to use their talents and skills more flexibly, allowing them to be just as financially independent as men. Instead of encouraging "boys will be boys", let the girls believe that there is more to their future than getting a job for a degree and preparing themselves to be 'suitable' for men, there is more than having to give up on your jobs, dreams and careers simply because you want nature to take its course to have a family.
Can we, as a society, work on these thoughts? Can we make more opportunities, more appropriate opportunities, different opportunities for women? Where women do not have to fight tooth and nail to make it to the top among men with brighter chances, but have healthy competition amongst each other because they know there are more women in their field, who could finally understand each other?
I think this was what feminism wanted to achieve in the first place.
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