I Am Woman

With Women’s Day just around the corner, it isn't hard to imagine what a blogging feminist would blog about! Honestly, I've never celebrated Women’s Day. I mean, if there is no Men’s Day, what is the point in keeping aside a day for women; where is the equality in that? But only last year I got to know about the existence of Men’s Day – hence, now I can celebrate global femininity without feeling biased.

I have come across lots of women who are otherwise very modern but claim that they are not feminists. I have to admit, not long ago, I was one of them too; the reason behind it being my ignorance and misinterpretation of the term “feminism”. I was under the impression that a feminist is a man-hater. I mean, if there’s a global movement demanding gender equality, doesn't that prove that women are not actually at par with men? But now I know that the reason behind my immature argument was the fact that I have always considered myself deserving of equal rights and opportunities as men because of my upbringing – I couldn't imagine the idea of being discriminated on the basis of my sex. Now I know that the reason feminism exists is because women have been oppressed by men for centuries now and a joint venture is needed to bring every woman at par with their masculine counterpart.  I am a feminist and I’m definitely not a man-hater; quite the opposite in fact!

Thanks to the combined effort of countless feminists all over the world, today men and women are treated equally everywhere – well almost! In spite of this, sexism in subtle form still exists, though mostly unintentional! Whenever a woman accomplishes something great, she is called a “female achiever”, not just an “achiever”; as if her gender is a handicap which she overcame to achieve greatness. Even today to ensure their safety, women are expected to behave in such a way so as to not attract any unnecessary attention. A boy with a regular sex life is just a boy, but when a girl does the same, she is a whore. Songs with lyrics which degrade the status of women, end up becoming party anthems. Female characters are almost always described or portrayed objectively with description of every single part of her body! If a woman isn't ready to be bound by the norms of the society, she isn't called “independent”, she’s called a slut.

Women need to embrace their originality without worrying about what society has to say about them. Society will never stop judging you. Your voice, personality and principles are all you can hold onto and make use of. Every single woman is unique and beautiful. Be in love with yourself. Being selfish once in a while is fine. Follow your heart and do not let society’s opinion of you be in your way.