Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
Submission and tolerance in women is not inherent, as much as a feeling of supremacy in men is not. It is time we stopped defending these ignorant stereotypes!
We lose our sense of self very early in life. From a very early age we are taught how being social is essential for survival, how important it is to prioritize other’s wishes before ours.
“Smile more”, “Don’t laugh loudly”, “walk delicately”, “Don’t ask so many questions”, “Talk less”, “If you want to keep a relationship, you must tolerate some things. Develop patience towards another person”.
I don’t know if men are told this, time and again for every relationship. I haven’t personally seen anyone advise this to men. But I have seen enough women being told to control impulses, not get angry, adjust some more. All this is told to women under the garb of “Women have the inherent ability of being tolerant and accomodating”. They then tell us in many words how this is how women ‘are made’ psychologically by the maker.
Being a lonely child, I was always prone to look for affection outside. But this formula of passivity fed into my naive mind by everyone in the society made me succumb to a psychological condition where I, for the longest time, kept genuinely believing that it is love when a man dominates me. I wanted to be adored and pampered, and devoid of a father figure all my life, I kept looking for a man who ordered me, protected me – because that is the social fabric I grew up with.
My social conditioning was ‘women have to be docile’ but my blood has always been angry. So after plenty of adjustments with dominance, I rebelled strongly. And since I rebelled after keeping quiet for a long time, people around me believed that I was being unreasonable. The men in my life were given sympathies by my own people because I was known to be ruthless while breaking up. It looked as if I let them rule over me and suddenly one day I decided they cannot.
I blamed myself too for the longest time. Apologized profusely for my failed relations. Was tremendously impacted mentally. It isn’t easy to blame yourself day and night, and then hear your close ones say “You should have adjusted some more perhaps”. It is a destructive thought.
Until one fine day I sat and contemplated. I thought about how everything that went before was ignored. How was my idea of being loved so flawed since the beginning? How was their idea of loving someone also so flawed? Did I not give them enough chances? Did I get any? Do you HAVE to give chances? Doesn’t that depend on who you as a person are?
Women are NOT psychologically tolerant. They are conditioned to be so since the day they are born. They are conditioned to think they need protection. They are conditioned to think that a loving boyfriend/husband means one who is possessive and orders them around.
Women who defend domestic violence as “husband has a right to hit me” have been conditioned to think that way. Getting hit by someone, and taking pride in that is NOT how women are born by default. They have been told this by everyone. They have seen this being practised by their elders around them. Similarly, the opposite conditioning happens for men. And when men don’t satisfy their social conditioning, they are called ‘joru ka gulam’ and some such atrocious things.
Darwin’s theories are being reevaluated. Role of conditioning in brain development is being studied. So please stop defending supremacy of men as their inherent ability, and stop defending submission of women as theirs. It is extremely, pathetically idiotic to generalize this whole thing. It has ruined lives and relationships.
Published first on the author’s Facebook page.
Image source: shutterstock
Writes about feminism, books, food and social issues ! 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!
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.
Please enter your email address