Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
Dipa Karmakar inspires India's women and girls to strive for big things; her very participation at an Olympic event is cause for cheer.
Dipa Karmakar inspires India’s women and girls to strive for big things; her very participation at an Olympic event is cause for cheer.
I was glued to the television screen, taking in the smallest details of her move. It was replayed in slow motion – swirl, swirl and then a sound ‘thud’. She landed through the sand, knees bent and a balanced stand up, and the crowd went crazy.
She waved at the crowd and rushed towards her coach. He patted her back and the score board displayed the eighth rank. Yes, yes! She had qualified for the finals. I was screaming and jumping with excitement, as if she would hear me and wave back to me.
My son looked at me and seemed puzzled. The expressions on his face were, as if he were asking these questions. “Maa, what happened?” I told him, “See dude, she qualified for the finals. Does she not inspire you?” In return he threw his hands in the air and chuckled and started babbling out of excitement. My son might have understood that his mother is happy about something. This is the way we communicate.
I turned back towards the television, and there she was, the spellbinding personality, returning the acknowledgment with a humble gesture. I was telling myself, “You are a diva, Ms. Karmakar. I behaved in this hyper fashion for another half an hour and to top it, my son accompanied me too.
And why should not I? After all, Dipa Karmakar is the first Indian gymnast, female or male to compete in any Olympics in 52 years.
When I was drained out of energy, I looked for something edible. I saw my son chasing his circlet rattle and falling every time trying to catch it. I tried to pull myself out of the enthusiasm and went to boil some tea. I finished the other house chores, played with my son and sang him a lullaby to sleep.
I was lying next to him and soon I started daydreaming. It was different this time, this dream of my childhood. “You are so clumsy, so careless…” this voice came from afar and soon a defensive voice echoed, “she has wheels in her legs, she just tries to do things fast…” and then she winks at me. I returned her smile with a grin and start running after the glowworms, my favourite thing to do. I laughed aloud and flapped my hands and flew…Maa, see I am flying!
My yawning son brought me back to reality and I took him in my arms and bribed him to sleep again with a lullaby. I looked at him and thought, “He will fly on wheels one day…”
I always wanted to learn skating but could not accomplish it. I killed my wish unlike others who went ahead. “Education only matters, games will take you nowhere.” I could not sleep that night, as I kept thinking of my skates. It was midnight when I woke my husband up, and narrated to him my day, my dream. He requested me to sleep and promised to discuss it the next day.
The next day, when I returned from my walk, a small piece of paper was fluttering on the table. It was an admission form for skating school and there lying, was a note too. It said, “I wish our son learns to fly from the best teacher.”
Wiping my tears away, I told myself, “Thank you, Ms. Gymnast, you have made my dream come true and a belated happy birthday to you.”
A space tech lover, engineer, researcher, an advocate of equal rights, homemaker, mother, blogger, writer and an avid reader. I write to acknowledge my feelings. read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Menopause is a reality in women's lives, so Indian workplaces need to gear up and address women's menopausal needs.
Picture this: A seasoned executive at the peak of her career suddenly grapples with hot flashes and sleep disturbances during important meetings. She also battles mood swings and cognitive changes, affecting her productivity and confidence. Eventually, she resigns from her job.
Fiction? Not really. The scenario above is a reality many women face as they navigate menopause while meeting their work responsibilities.
Menopause is the time when a woman stops menstruating. This natural condition marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years. The transition brings unique physical, emotional, and psychological changes for women.
Please enter your email address