Saturday, April 20, 2013

Rambling which led to a post about feminism

I'll jump straight to the subject matter of this post, which is....
which is...

which is...

I guess I'll just start rambling, since there seems to be no subject matter :-|

I've been learning driving...if sitting in the driver's seat and gripping the steering wheel so hard your knuckles turn white, instead of actually steering it, and braking at the slightest of flutters in the traffic around you can be called , er, driving! Anyways, it's becoming less stressful and more enjoyable with every passing day.

I've already endured 5 shouted abuses, and 106 disdainful glares from male co-drivers on the Indian roads in my 15 hours spent in the drivers seat so far. Hah, I am sure you can't beat my stats :D  Also, not to mention the, uh, *gentle* nudge on the arm I gave to a gentleman with my car. He was quite forgiving about it, so no worries there. I told you no one can beat my stats!

After reading this post, if everyone I know refuses to ride in my car, I'll understand. I would too, in your place.

In other updates, reading about Beyonce's Mrs. Carter World Tour, has had me re watching a lot of her videos, since (sadly) she's unlikely to come to India anytime soon. And also because with the NEET results nowhere in sight, I have a lot of time to waste. Her presence on stage leaves me in sheer awe. Watch this video, if you have a lot of time to waste like me, in order to understand the woman, her prowess, and why feminism suits her so much.


And that brings us to the topic of feminism. Now this is a concept equally loved and hated. Look at these examples:





How difficult is it to understand that feminism DOESN'T mean not hitting a woman back if she hits you. If a woman is out to kill you, yes, you got to save yourself!

I have realized that many men, especially young Indians, have their views on feminism that are somewhat like this: "All women are b@#%$#s. They ruin our lives, they break our hearts, they take advantage of us whenever needed, and they are hardly the hapless beings they portray themselves to be. They always get the easy way out. And then they propagate this feminism! As if we don't have enough to deal with already! They are the last people who need any help in surviving. Because they trample all over us whenever they need to anyways!"

I hear you, I do, but feminism ISN'T about her, that woman who may have manipulated you, taken advantage of you, cheated on you, or whatever they did to you! No! I am sorry if some woman did something bad to you, but that doesn't change or take away what millions of women have to go through, around the world, everyday, at the hands of men.


Read this, and try to understand:



Source: here



You still don't think feminism is needed? Go talk to the next girl you meet, and ask her. No matter how educated and privileged she may be, if she is an Indian, she has probably faced sexual discrimination in at least some form on more than one instance in her life.

Anyways, here's what I need feminism for:

1. Being told, after doing well in a college viva, that it was probably only because I am female and good looking, and the examiner was male.
2. Being told, that it is every girl's duty to excel at household work, while it is derogatory for a male to do the very same household work.
3. Having been eve-teased and groped even before I turned 15.
4. Being scared to use public transport when I am well-dressed and alone.

These are just some of my personal reasons. I am sure millions of women around the world have millions of reasons why they support feminism, most of them much, much more serious than mine. Feminism is justified, and needed. It's time for us to understand and accept that, and stop cracking jokes on the subject.

Moving on, here's a couple of petitions for you to sign regarding the NEET PG case:

Petition 1
Petition 2

Let's all hope the end to this nightmare is near. And let's all hope it doesn't end with yet another nightmare.

I will continue my rambles in the next post, now signing off.

Let me know in the comments your views about feminism, and if you're a girl, any reasons why you may need feminism, or the reasons why you are against it.