As women, without an iota of doubt, we are privileged (for which I’m glad) with most of the things which the opposite sex lacks – be it having seats reserved in buses or trains, be it the reservation in government jobs, or everything else which we get as a privilege through our womanhood.
As a lawyer, I would like to mention that there are more than a handful of acts made solely for women. Even the definition of ‘rape’ under Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) defines the rape of a woman and not that of a man. Under the adultery section too, only men involved in the offence can be punished, and not a woman, who may be involved in the same offence.
The real deal is the word ‘chivalry’ which we use most often in our lives. The foremost thing here is that the word, by no means, debars the rights which men have, nominally. So if your boyfriend is not paying your bills, he may not be ‘unchivalrous’ – it’s possible that he’s saving the money for better purposes. If a man is sitting on a bus seat, may be he’s too tired of his ‘to-do list’ to be chivalrous. Don’t ever let your liberty come in the way of others’ rights. You’re beautiful, flawless and strong like the storm. There is no radiant creature like you on the planet. In this way, you’re by default privileged from your birth.
As a woman, why do we see ourselves as subtle creatures dependent on others? On one hand, we demand empowerment, misinterpret it in manifold ways and practise them at large. On the other, we end up justifying these misinterpretations by throwing debates against the infringement of women’s rights.
Why do we let the little kids learn that they (boys and girls) are two different creatures born to do different things? Why is a daughter always taught to manage a household since her birth? Why is it shameful for a boy to manage a household instead of going to the office? Why is it ideal only when a woman manages a household and a man goes to office – and not the other way round?
In this era where women are no less than men, we should teach our kids better to respect every being irrespective of gender. Let’s remove this gender bias from their little heads from the very beginning.
This Women’s Day, let’s not use our womanhood negatively. Let’s put every being on same boat. Let’s empower humans, let’s empower humanity!
Happy Women’s Day!
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Featured image used for representative purposes only.