I've been accused of being a hard core feminist. I've been convicted enuf number of times to be taken away to that vaginal prison of my complex race. | Dn't go wrong. I, like others do blush beetroot red over some gallant soul who opens the door or pulls out a chair for me, and I have discovered, much to my jaw-dropping (Ally McBeal ishtyle) horror,that the xy chromosome is capable of far more than the superfluous xx variety.
Despite such such heart-breaking thruths, I am a feminist and will always be one. Not the bra-burning, head-shaving, dam-saving kind, or the more gentle, but a certain unique little kind of my own.
I don't know what you'd call us - the modest tribe of feminists. We have never made any huge statements so far. We've always been silent and honestly we don't know what great deeds we've done to deserve all this all-encompassing. But we have all agreed to wear the badges and bake inevitable cookies, and being literate, we all know what this much-spoken-of label means.
Yes, we are harmless. Animals that need not be caged.
Here's the argument that is conclusive. We don't bother to fight for our so-called rights. Only because we've always thought we were superior - or equal, except those of us with inherently low self-esteem.
Birthright.
Welcome to India. We have cows on the street, people who spit into the roads, children running naked on streets. Have we not learnt to live with it? What's more is that we take pride in it. We like to brag about our rich culture and our heritage.
Our ancestry is our country’s claim to fame. The intelligence and foresight of our predecessors.We’ve all heard tales of the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha from our teachers in school and our grandparents.
And then the other two great epics of the world come from Greek lore. The Iliad and the Odyssey, for the illiterates. They’re all tales of battle and heroes. Of massive slaughter and reconciliation. And each of them revolve, in some way or the other around women. Battles for women, battles wrought by women. Even mythology to great extents speaks of wars of impressively great in size for women.
Draupadi insisted on the Kurukshetra massacre, Sita - the epitome of virtue, pure and flawless, whose beauty enticed Ravana and caused him to abduct her. The Trojan War - waged for one all-powerful woman and finally the batte of Penelope - the faithful wife who refused to marry another man. One more battle for one more woman.
And my point is....Women who were perfect, and women who were less so. In some way or the other they have caused conflict; they were the center of it all. Womanhood – powerful and irresistible. At the end of the day, no matter what is said and done, the world revolved around them.
In some incomprehensible way, they really wrote history.
And we are still fighting for women’s rights?
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From Nappies to Skirts
From braids to ponytails
From High School to College
This journey might seem short but there is a bare truth that has gone inside it.
Parents welcome their little princesses in this world assuring them of a pampered childhood and a pleasant life ahead.
Am currently reading the autobiography of Protima Bedi - Time Pass. Her daughter had completed the preface and she had clearly expressed how she went into a whirlpool of gloom when her mother's boyfriend had spoken to her of sexual favours. The lady who possess a high glam quotient , didn't know how to react then. I am amazed at her honesty, since I've never come across anyone who are open to discuss their unpleasant childhood memories (if they've had any!).
I know girl who lived adjacent to my friend's place. She is ten something and the twinkle in her eye can make any person smile. She's a storyteller (talks like one!) - and I enjoy listening to her stories and poems. It was one day when I and my friend were leaning against the window chit-chatting that we saw her playing with the building watchman. Under the pretex of a game that man had something else in mind. We alerted her mother who then caught him off guard. Random thoughts started to run in my mind. From these random thoughts,coherent thoughts emerged. What cud have been her plight? What cud have been the long-term impact on her? |  This is an area that is being ignored and one one wants to talk of it. Somethings are better left unsaid. Child abuse can have severe effects. Typically, most children who go thru child abuse exhibit behavior problems ranging from separation anxiety to posttraumatic stress disorder. | A survey conducted by the National Center for PTSD (Posttraumatic stress disorder) sited that one out of every five girls is sexually child abused. We can’t deny the fact that it is not happening; it is happening and it is happening around us. We need to be very careful - Pedophiles can be around the corner. Studies of childhood sexual abuse, define childhood based on age range that may be in adolescence too. Children who are victims of improperly intimate r'ships are worst hit. Brother-sister incest is reported to be more common than the next common (step)father-daughter incest. I have read of such crazy facts, which are ridiculous but imagine the impact they leave on a child's psyche. I don't say that it is the parent's responsibility to impart knowledge on their children of good touch or bad touch. Let children know that they have the right to prevent the wrong gestures. We need to tell them that authority does not mean to obey everything what those in authority tell them to do. We need to develop strong communication skills which would encourage them to talk openely of their experiences. We need to explain to them the importance of reporting abuse. So, the next time you sing Que sera sera- what will be, will be to your child, remind yourself - the Future is ours to see!
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