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Anywhere they go, and be they of any age, any description, women are sexually harassed. What if we spoke about our molestation without stigma?
”A friend of mine was on was on a train journey. She woke up at night to see a man standing close to her and feeling her up.” ”Another one, had an undergarment thrown at her as she walked down a road.” ”And yet another one, waiting to cross the road, was hit on her breasts by a man in car that slowed down right in front of her, only to speed away after that.”
There are a thousand such stories that I know. Stories that my friends told me but were embarassed to tell anyone else. I went through something similar when I was 8 years old, and travelling with my mom. The hurt and the trauma becomes bearable but the frustration on not being able to do something about it, that burns as ever.
Men are wonderful. They are. So uncomplicated and practical. But what about these few animals (maybe an insult to animals!) amidst us? What do we do for them? Penning down what you have seen or been through would serve three things.
a) People who read this will know they are not the only one who go through this and are not to be blamed.
b) Convey to everyone what being a woman in India entails. The everyday challenge that we face in coming to work or being anywhere for that matter.
c) Break the social stigma surrounding it. Women feel victimised and are ashamed of what happened to them. Why?
We can talk about Nirbhaya or some other woman, but why are we scared of facing our own devils? Why write about this on this forum? So that more than two lakh men around you know and understand.
How many of us actually go back and tell our family about what we face? Why not tell the family of others what we survive?
Are you WOMAN enough to do that?
Image source: is a screen grab from the movie Raanjhanaa
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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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