By Riddhima Dave, The Gender Lab:
The confluence of strong independent women today has changed the way we look at the female gender. We are breaking glass ceilings, we are going to space, we are leading governments. Collectively, we are achieving more than women ever have. We have the freedom to do what we want, to become who we want to, though our situation is not ideal. We still have a long way to go and we are trying. Trying so hard. To bridge that gap. That wage gap. That women-in-a-corner office ratio. The women-in-power statistics. So, what is holding us back?
Ours is not a perfect world. It is filled with elements that make it corrupt. In recent times, the #metoo movement has gained much momentum, which proves how corrupt the world can be. It is a scary place. And we are afraid, many times.
Talking to the fellows at The Gender Lab tells me one thing. That while they are strong women, helping young girls be in control of their destiny, they too feel scared sometimes. They help girls develop a vision through community service. They lead them on a path of independence and fearlessness through the ideals of Vision, Self Confidence, Empathy, Teamwork and Execution. Despite this, they too feel the need to call their parents while out in a cab at night. To carry pepper spray in their bags. And if not now, they have felt it before, and may in the future. “It’s scary, you know. Going out late at night. In the streets. I used to avoid going out at night. Be home by 9. I don’t anymore but I still feel scared,” says one of the fellows. I feel scared too. And I am sure every woman has at some point in her life. Even with so many measures for women’s safety, we feel fear.
But there is a catch. Though the women at The Gender Lab feel fear at times, they do not let it limit them. They do not let it hamper their goals, their mission. They recently held Kehkasha, an annual event, at Lokhandwala Foundation School. The theme this year was- “I will go out”, with girls from various schools. Workshops were held on this very topic. They talked of places they were afraid of, and then riled up solutions for the problems. This tells us one thing – when they are scared, they are not powerless. They are not letting fear hold them back. And they are succeeding. But not everyone is aware enough.
We are all afraid. With so many cases of sexual harassment, rape and acid attacks rampaging every day, and in public places too, its only natural that we do so. We have a choice here. We can let the fear become us. Stop us. Prevent us from getting where we want. Or we can control it. We take our precautions. We become aware of our surroundings and venture out. We are not responsible for the actions of another and we must not feel that we are. That being said, the world can be unsafe and as much as we would want it to be true, not everyone is good. So, we are responsible for our safety and well-being. I want all women who read this know- it is okay to be afraid sometimes. But it is not okay to let it keep us from breaking out and achieving. We can use this to our benefit. To be alert at all times. Aware and awake. We can help ourselves achieve what we want without having to go through a traumatic experience. We can be.
To be amongst us fighters and stand against our own fears, hop on the bandwagon! Join The Gender Lab Fellowship at www.thegenderlab.org where young and enthusiastic women come together to work for a gender equitable world!
The last date to apply for the fellowship is 30th March 2018.
