Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
Being a woman in India is still not the easiest task. We need to think before deciding what to wear, do or say. Do we ourselves think from the male perspective?
Even when a woman is fully clothed, people, including other women, will find a way to blame and shame her for exposing some part of her body (even if that part is smaller than a toenail). This may sound ridiculous but it is true, especially in countries like India.
Men can roam around the streets bare-bodied wearing nothing but shorts or something even shorter than that and no one gives a f**k. No one will call them a slut nor will anyone hassle them in any way.
But a woman would be subjected to some form of harassment regardless of what she wears. And if she makes the brave decision of wearing a garment that exposes even a part of her arms, feet, back, neck or anything else that society feels she should cover, the general public will objectify and slut-shame her.
Anyone can jump in and deem her dress inappropriate. Meanwhile, women are supposed to accept what they say and apologise for it.
We have a tendency of shaming the victim, especially if it’s a woman. And we end up excusing any kind of perverse behaviour towards them. We hold those women and their clothes responsible for it.
More often than not, the culprits are treated leniently and sometimes even let off completely. In some cases, they are even celebrated for displaying their masculinity, however toxic it may be.
It is very clear that most members of our society have accepted the sort of male narrative that looks down on women. And also allows them almost no freedom to express themselves.
They have no freedom over their bodies and are repeatedly subjected to the male gaze wherever they go.
They are expected to bear the consequences for being born (female foeticide), wearing the clothes they want (verbal harassment, molestation and rape), getting married (dowry, marital rape, harassment by husband and in-laws), or even speaking their mind.
We are not comfortable with reflecting on our thoughts and actions. We love to blindly follow our egos. We have habituated ourselves to follow a fixed chain of thought actively promoted by our friends, relatives or the media.
Now it’s your choice whether to be a part of this toxic male perspective or to question it.
Picture credits: Pexels
Writing is my therapy. It helps me make sense of this world. 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.
Being a writer, Nivedita Louis recognises the struggles of a first-time woman writer and helps many articulate their voice with development, content edits as a publisher.
“I usually write during night”, says author Nivedita Louis during our conversation. Chuckling she continues,” It’s easier then to focus solely on writing. Nivedita Louis is a writer, with varied interests and one of the founders of Her Stories, a feminist publishing house, based in Chennai.
In a candid conversation she shared her journey from small-town Tamil Nadu to becoming a history buff, an award-winning author and now a publisher.
Nivedita was born and raised in a small town in Tamil Nadu. It was for schooling that she first arrived in Chennai. Then known as Madras, she recalls being awed by the city. Her love-story with the city, its people and thus began which continues till date. She credits her perseverance and passion to make a difference to her days as a vocational student among the elite sections of Madras.
Please enter your email address