I Did Not Get Support In My Life, So Why Should Another Woman?

As women, can we be more supportive of other women? Let’s avoid the patriarchal mindset that ensures that the injustice done to us is repeated!

In today’s world of crying out for feminism, women are failing to notice one big thing. While there is a group of women holding slogans and screaming out for equal rights, there also is another group that does not want women to have equal rights as that of men. This second group is more often than not led by a woman.

In the almost three decades of my existence as a woman, I have tried my best to succeed in every step of my life. But the ones who wanted to hold me back and point a finger at me were always women. When a woman climbs up the corporate ladder, a lot of them think that she’s sleeping her way to the top. In the group that thinks so, there at least will be one or two women. Maybe women cannot handle each other’s success. If that’s the case then this whole act of feminism is a facade. It should be called selfishism instead.

A mother-in-law will not spare a moment to find faults in her son’s wife. The daughter-in-law would be a working lady and would not be able to do all the chores at home. Instead of helping her get a work-life balance, these MILs taunt their DILs time and again. Some of them are asked to quit their job and take care of the house instead, while the MIL would hibernate in front of the TV.

If these MILs helped their DILs in managing the house, the DIL would excel at her job with all the support from home. But does anyone do that? No. Maybe the MIL thinks that since the DIL is successful at work, she would not respect her. Or she could be plain jealous of the fact that her son’s wife is making money while she couldn’t.

I have also seen cases where a mother cannot believe that her son is taking such good care of his wife. She did not get it from her husband, so how could some one else? Soon, the son is called henpecked and everyone around is subject to drama and stress.

It’s 2016. The patriarchal mindset continues!

Most of the times, the one who is trying to bring down a woman is another woman herself. I know a lot of women who think that a woman’s place is in the kitchen and at her husband’s feet. There are a lot of women who think that if a woman is given equal rights, she would not be able to handle it.

This is happening in 2016, can you believe it? We women are supposed to think from the heart, but it looks like a lot of us are becoming heartless of late. Women trouble each other in every way possible. I have seen women troubling their maids and ill treating them. Can’t a woman understand the plight of another? After all she is only trying to make a living for her family here.

Never miss real stories from India's women.

Register Now

Slut shaming is very prevalent these days and there are loads of women who point a finger at another woman regarding their sense of dressing. A woman who raises her voice is consider ‘rude’ by another woman. A woman who wears a skirt to work is considered a ‘whore’ by another woman. If a man has an extra marital affair, the wife is quick to blame the other woman instead of her own husband. Sad, isn’t it?

More than men considering menstruation to be impure, women are the ones who think they are dirty while on their period. Such women make the lives of their daughters, sisters, daughters-in-law and any other woman around them very difficult.

If there is an argument between a man and a woman, another woman wants the woman to give up and compromise. Since she’s a woman, she has to adjust they say. I say, why? Why are we women hell bent upon ruining the lives of other women? If you can’t help out another woman, then please just let them be instead.

Don’t trouble her when she has already enough troubles in this world. Don’t point a finger at her when there are enough of that too. Consider her to be you for a second. What would you do then? Would you think that women are not allowed to do these things and walk away or would you admire her strength and courage and go ahead with what you want to do?

Published here earlier.

Image source: angry young woman by Shutterstock.

Comments