“Did
you hear that news?” I asked him.
“Which one?” he inquired.
“There are people who never get tired of labeling women with respect to what
they wear. When we wear traditional attire, they call us behenji. When we dress in contemporary fashion, they blame our clothes
for mounting rape and molestation incidences. Why such mindless generalization?
It is nauseating that someone daily has something to comment on our attire. Recently
a Botany professor in Kerala made that preposterous comment stating that women who wear jeans, shirts and dress up like men give birth to
transgenders. Everyone there protested against him.”
____________________________
P.S.
It is surprising to see on one hand scientists are making new discoveries and on the other hand, some educated people (with limited facts) are trying
to blame women for everything they can think of.
P.P.S. Women across the globe are marred by such generalizations, with a
culture or religion police on their head. In many countries women are also banned from using red-lipstick among other things.
Even in normal families, we can find objects like this professor, commenting and talking about what women should and shouldn’t wear.
------------------------
For this year's April A to Z challenge, I will put forward 26 women issues from 26 alphabets. These issues will be inspired by "real-life events" and will highlight social issues and other faced by women. Some of these issues might be globally prevalent.
With AtoZ challenge like all- bloggers worldwide, I too pledge to write on each day of April, except on Sundays.
Drabble is the piece of fiction strictly in 100 words.
Drabble is the piece of fiction strictly in 100 words.
Society is very judgmental. This is for both women and men. Even men are judged by what they wear. This happened a few years ago. A newspaper reporter in Seattle was waiting in line to buy a ticket for a movie. He saw a man a few feet away shabbily dressed. The reporter was wondering if this man can afford to buy a ticket for this movie. He went near him to take a closer look. It was Bill Gates
ReplyDeleteWoah! Thankyou for sharing the story. I have known that most of multi-billionaires used live too frugally when they were not billionaires.
DeletePeople have always been judgemental. I think their behaviour largely stems from their overprotective nature towards sections that they perceive to be "weak and vulnerable". Of course, many people actually do it simply because they like to object to anything under the sun.
ReplyDeleteI think women also are guilty of this behaviour. And this is because they, in most likelihood' have themselves been weak. Some find it hard to believe that other women could be so independent , and a few also feel jealous of others' independence.
Good post. You brought out a very relevant issue for Indian women.
Cheers,
CRD
Thanks for sharing your views CRD! You are absolutely correct.
DeleteThe kind of statements that have been passed by people over women's dressing is beyond ridiculous. I wonder from where do they get such ideas!
ReplyDeleteThe way women dress is routinely cited as an incitement to rape/molestation. But the fact is Muslim women wearing burka are routinely molested in mosques!! There was this #MosqueMeToo on Twitter some time back and it had some horrific stories!!
Our society is such that they would not let you live in peace with whatever you do or wear. I think it's time they follow the principle of 'live and let live'...
Shilpa I have missed that hashtag. Thankyou for sharing it here. It is ridiculous when they connect dressing with rape and molestation. If it was true women in traditional attire and children and infants would be safe! There should be a strict penalty for making such stupid statements.
DeleteI hate labels, for dress for or for anything else. But it's only human for us to draw inferences going by what we hear and see -- the first impressions, as we say.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, many occasions have their own implicit dress codes. We don't go to a beach suited and booted, just as we don't go for an important business meeting in a casual wear.
I agree in many occasions we have to dress accordingly. But as you have said already we should try to refrain ourselves from labeling others.
Deleteहमारे भीतर हमारी रूढ़िवादी सोच किसी न किसी कोने में ज़रूररहती है। हम अपने को प्रगतिशील मानते हैं पर जो परम्परा की, रूढ़िवादिता की चोटी हमारे भीतर है उससे भी तो मुक्ति पानी है।
ReplyDeleteबिलकुल सही, हर लिहाज़ से प्रगतिशील होने के लिए हमें रूदिवादी परम्पराओ का बहिष्कार करके, समाज की चिंता छोड़कर अपना और अपनी मानसिकता का विकास करना होगा, वरना हम एक नहीं कई पुश्तो तक ज्यों के त्यों विकास हीन रहेंगे।
DeleteAmazing indeed that attire can bring about so many perceptions and beliefs. I guess it will be a while before they grow out of that particular mould!
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting my blog, Shesha! Happy AtoZ-ing!
https://vidyasury.com
I agree with you, probably it will take a generation or two for us to grow out of this particular mould holistically. Thankyou for sharing your views here :)
Delete