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Telling women to have fewer babies is not the solution to problems of climate change, no matter what some experts might say!
As a new parent, when I read articles that make heroes out of intelligent women who are choosing not to have children or those that state why women shouldn’t have children at all to protect the planet, it gets me thinking, to say the least.
Let’s first get a few things straight. For want of not going off on a tangent, let’s put aside the biased statement which puts only intelligent women on a pedestal.
As for the second statement, women can’t ever seem to catch a break! It’s as if wars, industries and consumerism are all due to women. I have yet to come across articles that give us five ways to curb our shopping instincts in order to save the planet. What’s worse than climate change is blaming only one single segment of the society for it!
I understand the problem here. It’s a huge moral one, the responsibility of which seems to lie on women alone, pressurizing them into a corner; either pulling them down for desiring babies or questioning them for not wanting any.
The world may need fewer babies to be born every day, but it needs smarter people more. To those out there who think that climate change is a direct result of little humans, think again.
Do you still use a plastic bag to line your waste bin?
Does your face wash still have micro beads in it?
Do you still spray yourself with air polluting perfumes 5 times a day? Do your washing detergents have artificial fragrances and chemicals?
If your answer to these questions is ‘yes’ more than ‘no’, need I say more?
If anything, having a baby makes one more conscious of their choices. There are lovely, greener and less harmful options available around us. Most of these are so simple it’s a surprise we moved away from them in the first place. There are modern cloth diapers and plain ol’ steel containers, reusable toys, wooden toys, glass bottles, cotton wash clothes, washing detergents with natural components that don’t pollute the water. I can go on and on.
We need to educate ourselves into making smarter choices, ones that have little to no repercussions on the earth. And we have to keep at it till it becomes a wonderful habit.
Making healthier choices doesn’t mean eating leaves off the road and roaming around in a loin cloth. We always forget to find that quintessential ‘balance’. We just need to look around us for inspiration.
And we really need to stop judging and being critical of others. The next time you come across a frazzled parent and a kid, smile and be of help. It’s not their fault the earth is warming up!
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I am a native of Ahmedabad and have been living on and off in Bangalore since 2008. I am a trained classical dancer and singer and should have been at least an economist after 5 read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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