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The response to Anand Mahindra's recent tweet has raised the hackles of women who have been saying this for ages without being acknowledged, but let's also look at the positive.
The response to Anand Mahindra’s recent tweet has raised the hackles of women who have been saying this for ages without being acknowledged, but let’s also look at the positive.
A recent tweet by Chairman of Mahindra Group and Industry leader, Anand Mahindra is winning hearts across social media. He made the following tweet on his handle:
“I’ve been helping to baby-sit my year old grandson this past week & it’s brought home to me the stark reality of this image. I salute every working woman & acknowledge that their successes have required a much greater amount of effort than their male counterparts.”
Where his comment has garnered appreciation it has also raised the question as to why he never noticed it before, especially since he heads a big conglomerate and has many women working for him.
However, I feel it’s not too late. It is a step in the positive direction when men of power and stature start acknowledging that women manage dual roles with aplomb.
There have been a gradual but distinctive shift in our society as more and more young women join work force. They have dreams and aspirations for both their professional and personal lives. Though they chart out their career plans, most of them also want to get married and experience the joys of motherhood. But, when the time comes, it’s a fine balancing act that a woman has to maintain. Apart from the maternity leave that she takes, which at times costs her plum opportunities, she also starts a race against time at both work place and office.
Where most men want working wife to have the double income benefits, they do not want to share the work load at home. Unfortunately the thought that kitchen work belongs to a woman is deeply entrenched in our mindset. Though they might be supportive of their wife’s career choices, most would still shy away from pitching in. The management of kids’ schedules, projects and homework also usually fall on the mother’s capable shoulders.
True, there are house helps and at times grandparents to help but organizing and delegating is also usually the woman’s domain. We have heard many stories of women suffering from early burn out, depression, stress and anxiety as playing a wife, mother and employee is not easy.
It has to be noted that even with the many demands on them; women are still making their mark. They are heading banks, corporate, starting their own companies or flying planes. They are climbing the corporate ladder with one hand, while folding clothes with another. They are not asking for any special concession but a word of recognition once in a while means that their hard work is noticed and appreciated.
Yes, it took Anand Mahindra a week of babysitting to realize this, but atleast he did recognize and commend them. He did not dismiss it thinking that it’s a woman’s job. He admits that men have it easy. Hence, I think we should take this compliment and move ahead with our heads held high.
Image source: shutterstock
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UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
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