Author: Amita Raj
To me being dressed in the silky folds of a colourful sari is in itself a ceremonious
celebration of femininity. The sari not only enhances,but brings out the inner allure of every woman. How proud I feel of being one of the fair sex!
However this alluring feminine image, no matter in what clothing, has also encapsulated and stifled a woman into having to live upto unrealistic demands in so-called womanly behaviour.
Even in a country like India and at a time when our history has witnessed a whole
host of successful women in a horizon of activities ranging from prime minister,
president, pilots, military officers, writers, professors, spiritual gurus, homemakers and so on, we still have to deal with criticism if we don’t conform to what is ‘feminine’.
The voices are all too familiar to us, scolding us non-stop like a recording on automatic replay. We’re expected to be soft-spoken, demure, calm at all times. Raise your voice a little and you’re called out of control and hysterical! Be a successful leader, who is not submissive to a man and you’re called unwomanly.
“Don’t be stupid!” we’re told if we’re silent. “Don’t be aggressive,” they say if we
object to an injustice. “You’re too fat, don’t eat too much!” “Don’t be a dish rag! That’s why your husband is chasing other women! Your fault!” “Don’t dress stylishly, you’re out there to ensnare some man!” If you have expectations of sincerity from one who promises you love, but turns out to be a womanizer, you’re the chudel and he’s just a man. Certainly a very dysfunctional double standard!
In family life, there’s the expectation of the wife cooking and house cleaning even
when both spouses have careers. There really should be more equality in sharing these duties.
The only solution is being vocal about all these situations. We as women have needs and expectations, worthy of consideration and respect. Hopefully if expressed with honesty, we can bring awareness and understanding to these various scenarios, and open a path towards a more equitable balance with our male collaborators.
About the Author:
Amita Raj has always loved creating imaginatively rich stories through the melody and colours of language. Her writing talent was sparked off in her childhood at age eight in a classroom assignment where she wrote the autobiography of a pen. Since then, she has been enchanted with writing, also reading and enjoying the works of Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit Ray, Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe. She has been a contributing writer to Deccan Herald, India Currents, Twist and Twain and Soul Craft(online). She looks forward to her ongoing lyrical journey, writing and sharing with the world many more of her short stories, poems and novellas.
