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Meghan Markle revealed in a recent interview with Oprah, the emotional and mental trauma she has gone through during her stay at Buckingham Palace.
Misogyny is prevalent not only in India but also in developed countries around the world.
Women have always been shackled with regulations and mandates. Even education has failed to enlighten the male chauvinists about the need for gender equality and freedom of choice. Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex and also member of the British Royal family after marrying Prince Harry, could not escape it.
A quick recap for those who might not know all details.
An American citizen by birth, a woman of mixed racial heritage with a black mother and a white father, and a former actress, Meghan married Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex in May 2018 in a fairy tale wedding at Windsor Castle. But soon she realised how she was being judged and questioned on every aspect and choice in her life, even compared to the ‘perfect’ older daughter in law Catherine. Meghan and Harry’s first child, Archie, was born soon in 2019.
In the year 2020 however, the couple moved out of the palace leaving behind their royal privileges. The reason for their exit from the royal family was “lack of support and lack of understanding” as stated by Prince Harry.
They officially relocated across the seas to California, USA.
Meghan and Harry have taken their leave from the royal family but they still stand strong for the commitments they had made as royal members. But they will be fulfilling those commitments on their own terms, without any interventions from the royal family.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry recently gave their first media appearance in the Oprah Winfrey Show after giving up their royal rights.
They opened up on the various aspects which compelled the couple to move out of the royal family. The most shocking revelation was their racist conversation during Meghan’s pregnancy about the possibility of their unborn child being dark skinned.
They felt trapped in the royal life. The numerous pressures that the Duchess had to face were distressing to the extent that she even contemplated suicide at a point in time.
Harry revealed that his family never supported his wife and in turn Meghan had to suffer character assassination by the British media as a result of false stories circulated about her.
Harry confessed that if he did not marry Meghan he would never have realised how he was trapped within the royal boundaries. He expressed his concern for his father and brother still being trapped.
The Duke of Sussex expressed gratitude for his mother late Princess Diana. He said his mother had seen this coming and hence she had left both his sons a fortune of £6.5 million each. It was this inheritance due to which he could take a stand in his life. He compared his wife’s predicament to his late mother’s and hence took this decision.
All of this is so like the traditional Indian family with their difficulty in accepting a daughter-in-law who may be ‘different’, or not to their liking. A daughter-in-law who is not the ‘good’ Indian daughter-in-law who must behave the way they want, follow their traditions, and give up her own self. Where she is blamed for every crisis that the family has to face, or actions of her husband or them as a couple.
And of course, the all encompassing need for a ‘fair’ bride for the son, who should have ‘fair’ children.
It is high time that we women rise as a community above these conformist regulations. And for that we need to start supporting our sisters and have each other’s backs. Until then, men who feel entitled to their privileges aren’t going to think again.
Women need to take a bold stand like Meghan Markle when it comes to their life choices. Even more than that, husbands need to recognise the problems their wives face and support them like Harry does for his wife. Only then can there be any change.
Image source: YouTube
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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.
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.
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