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How often are new mothers told that they need to de-prioritise their careers, to limit their identity to being only mom? Serena Williams has the inspiring message new mothers need.
Serena Williams ended up being the runners-up in the recently concluded Wimbledon championship and missed grabbing her 24th Grand Slam title, when she lost to Angelique Kerber of Germany on Saturday.
She was just one step away from breaking the record of Margaret Court who holds 24 Grand Slams, but in my book, Serena is a winner nonetheless!
Since the birth of her daughter in September last year, Serena Williams has played four tournaments after recovering from complications and surgeries. In an interview after the match, Serena Williams said that she was playing for all mothers and that she wants to make them believe they can achieve whatever they want to if they desire to have a comeback after becoming mother.
“It was obviously disappointing but I can’t be disappointed, I have so much to look forward to. You know I’m literally just getting started so you know I’m looking forward to it,” she said.
When she was asked whether she was a ‘supermom’, Williams replied frankly that she was “just me”.
To inspire mothers to accept their motherhood as their driving force, she said “To all the moms out there, I was playing out there for you today and I tried, I look forward to continuing to be back out here and do what I do best.”
While having a child is naturally a life-changing event, Serena emphasised that a woman’s life need not be limited to motherhood. She said, “I just feel like to tell all the mums, like I had such a long struggle to come back and it was really difficult and honestly I feel like if I can do it, they can do it. I’m just that person, that person, that vessel that’s saying ‘you can be whatever you want to be if you want to go back to work.’”
At the same time, she spoke of the need to respect women’s choices, saying, “And to me, after becoming a mum, I feel like there’s no pressure to do that because having a child is a completely full-time job but those that do want to go back, you know, you can just do it. You can really do it.”
“I was really happy to get this far. For all the moms out there, I was playing for you today” Grace, poise and emotion. A runner-up’s interview given by a true champion.@SerenaWilliams 👏 #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/jjtw3cWyEq — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) 14 July 2018
“I was really happy to get this far. For all the moms out there, I was playing for you today”
Grace, poise and emotion. A runner-up’s interview given by a true champion.@SerenaWilliams 👏 #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/jjtw3cWyEq
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) 14 July 2018
It’s great to hear from such a sports superstar speaking on this issue which can encourage millions of mothers out there to accomplish their dreams and reach greater heights in their own respective fields. Kudos to Serena Williams!
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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.
If her home and family seem to be impacted by her career then we expect her to prioritize her ‘responsibilities at home as a woman’ and leave her job.
The entrenched patriarchal norms have always perpetuated certain roles and responsibilities as falling specifically in the domain of either men or women. Traditionally, women have been associated with the domestic sphere while men have been considered the bread winner of the household. This division of roles has become so ingrained in our lives that we seldom come to question it. However, while not being questioned does give the system a certain level of legitimacy, it in no way proves its veracity.
This systematic division has resulted in a widely accepted notion whereby the public sphere is demarcated as a men’s zone and the private sphere as belonging to women. Consequently, women are expected to stay at home and manage the household chores while men are supposed to go out and make a living with no interest whatsoever in the running of the household.
This divide is said to be grounded in the intrinsic nature of men and women. Women are believed to be compassionate, affectionate and loving and these supposedly ‘feminine’ qualities make them the right fit for caring roles. Men, on the other hand are allegedly more sturdy, strong and bold and hence, the ones to deal with the ordeals of the outside world.
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