If you want to understand how to become better allies to people with disabilities, then join us at Embracing All Abilities: Including People with Disabilities at Work.
Who are the good girls? What are the many challenges they face for being good in this society. This poem says it all.
Who are the good girls? What are the many challenges they face for being considered ‘good’ in this society? This poem says it all.
Be a ‘good girl’ is all she had heard-
It made sense, good is a virtuous word
She did not know that being good came
With strings attached, all the same
The parameters of being good had much to do
With her gender, though she lacked a clue
For in her naive world-view good was defined
By honesty, industry and purity of mind
Regardless of gender, these qualities were universal-
But,
She was not expected merely to be good, but a ‘good girl’
This juxtaposition of words implied so much more
Weighty expectations that she had to endure
**
Good girls should be seen, but not really heard
No uproarious laughter, no loud word
Should escape their mouths, she was told
They should step daintily, not have a stride bold..
Back off quickly in intellectual discourse
Never state their opinions with much force
(Mind you, these rules were for girls who were given
Similar to male counterparts, a liberal education)
Obeying your elders good upbringing signified
So she suppressed her rebellious streak and complied
Though in front of these rules she could not resign
Herself completely, may be she just was not destined
To be the “good girl” who would in due course transform
Into a well-mannered lady with old-fashioned charm.
Raised in a family with ideas fairly modern
Where education was not a subject of discrimination
She eventually ended up highly qualified
In a male-dominated field, which she entered with pride
Though confident in her abilities, she quickly realized
Behaving in her ‘good girl’ ways would be ill-advised-
She would change her walk to a long, confident stride
Speak clearly and loudly, be assertive; she did decide
It was not easy to break the stereotype in which she
Had been typecast for so long, she thought bitterly
At every step she heard her conditioning chide
Her for not being a good girl, letting her manners slide.
Progress was slow but she managed to
Keep her head high in her workplace too
Stereotyping was dangerous- she had learnt
She resolved never again to get burnt.
Previously published here.
Image source Unsplash
I am a woman, a physician, a mother and an aspiring writer rolled into one. I write about various aspects of my life, and my preferred form of writing is poetry (or rhyming verses). 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!
What I loved was how there is so much in the movie of the SRK we have known, and also a totally new star. The gestures, the smile, the wit and the charisma are all too familiar, but you also witness a rawness, an edginess.
When a movie that got the entire nation in a twist – for the right and wrong reasons – hits the theatres, there is bound to be noise. From ‘I am going to watch it – first day first show’ to ‘Boycott the movie and make it a flop’, social media has been a furore of posts.
Let me get one thing straight here – I did not watch Pathaan to make a statement or to simply rebel as people would put it. I went to watch it for the sheer pleasure of witnessing my favourite superstar in all his glory being what he is best at being – his magnificent self. Because when it comes to screen presence, he burns it, melts it and then resurrects it as well like no other. Because when it comes to style and passion, he owns it like a boss. Because SRK is, in a way, my last connecting point to the girl that I once was. Though I have evolved into so many more things over the years, I don’t think I am ready to let go of that girl fully yet.
There is no elephant in the room really here because it’s a fact that Bollywood has a lot of cleaning up to do. Calling out on all the problematic aspects of the industry is important and in doing that, maintaining objectivity is also equally imperative. I went for Pathaan for entertainment and got more than I had hoped for. It is a clever, slick, witty, brilliantly packaged action movie that delivers what it promises to. Logic definitely goes flying out of the window at times and some scenes will make you go ‘kuch bhi’ , but the screenplay clearly reminds you that you knew all along what you were in for. The action sequences are lavish and someone like me who is not exactly a fan of this genre was also mind blown.
Recent footage of her coming out of an airport had comments preaching karma and its cruel ways, that Samantha "deserved her illness" because she filed for divorce.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu fell from being the public’s sweetheart to a villain overnight because she filed for divorce. The actress was struck with myositis post divorce, much to the joy of certain groups (read sexist) in our society.
A troll responded to Samantha’s tweet, “Women Rising!!” by adding to it “just to fall”. She replied, “Getting back up makes it all the more sweeter, my friend.”
Here’s another insensitive tweet by BuzZ Basket showing fake concern for her autoimmune disease. “Feeling sad for Samantha, she lost all her charm and glow. When everyone thought she came out of divorce strongly and her professional life was seeing heights, myositis hit her badly, making her weak again.” Samantha responded, “I pray you never have to go through months of treatment and medication like I did. And here’s some love from me to add to your glow.”
Please enter your email address