Thursday 19 February 2009

Feminist ?

I came across this blog yesterday 

So on an not completely related note -
The line in the description "free from the scrutiny of feminists" made me wince. A lot of outspoken women seem to viewed as feminists. While some of these women relate with being called a feminist I am not sure I do. I am outspoken, I believe men and women are equals but I spend my days in the front of a laptop screen and my evenings in some mindless pursuit of entertainment. I do not work for any women causes, contribute in any way to their upliftment. How am I a feminist? The term has become a tad over used and sometimes a butt of jokes. I do not see myself as a feminist just as all the African Americans out there do not (hopefully) see themselves as members of the civil rights movement while going about their everyday lives. I do not represent women. While the ram sena makes me rant so does shiv sena's misplaced nationalism and so on. 

The genders in being different offer unique advantages. Men and women are different because they are. I really enjoy some of these differences and thought I would used this post to put them down.
Advantages of being a woman.. 
feel free to disagree I DO NOT speak as a feminist but for me. 

1. Able to cry. This is more and more not cornered by women but considering I am bawling my eyes out over every movie, book, anniversary ( I am a crier ) I feel safe in my identity as a woman doing this. If I were a man I would have to reserve my tears for life changing experiences and this is beyond me.

2. Scream like a girl --- many many phobias... heights, speed, sudden movement, ghosts... Again I feel comfortable harbouring, soothing and sometimes nourishing my fears.

3. Makeup - late comer to this since my first use of face paint was at the ripe age of 27. But I like :). 

4. I hold down a job and always intend to do so. But until I got married I never considered that having a career is different from being a "provider". I never saw myself as a person who would/ should provide ( that word again) for my family. Seems this is something most men think about from day one. That is one hell of a cross to bear. 

5. I am not a slave to fashion but there are many times when I "have" to try on three things before picking what I have to wear to go to hole in the wall Indian restaurant. My husband always greets the outcome with a big smile and then takes the person who couldn't manage wardrobe decisions very seriously when she talks about satyam, chidambaram, obama .....

6. I moved away from a job with a lot of prospects. I work from home but this is no way to have a great career. Honestly I could not care less. I did what makes me happy and being a woman this invited no judgement. Choosing a personal life over a career is an option all of us have but it seems women are judged less for it.

I had planned to avoid such topics because too much I believe has already been said and I do not think I have the appropriate credentials to add anything of value. So I intend from now on to view this as a humorous situation so all funny takes are welcome while serious ones will be tolerated.

1 comment:

shobs said...

women men not equal - cannot have same rules for both. like everything in life, equality of genders has to be based on give and take.

e.g. i WANT those shoes even if it kills me to wear it and i'll hardly ever wear it and u WANT wireless power drill which u'll never use anyway!

A Woman Second

I have tried for a long time not to write this post. Mostly it was because I had very strong feelings on the subject and was not sure I wan...