By Rakhi Bhargava
I was thinking on an article for woman’s day. And then it flashed to me that celebrating women’s day only on 8th march every year would be an understatement. Call it management or multi-tasking call it leading by example or commitment to family women know everything. If we go back in Indian history, we’ll be surprised to know that there was a time when women were asked to stay uneducated and look after family. Ours being a patriarchal society even today it’s a common feeling that women folk cannot come out as an equal to men in many fields and certain sports and professions belong only to men.
But, if women would have actually been the weaker gender, then why it is that kalpana Chawla was the chosen one for being the astronaut who would represent India? Why was Indira Gandhi a successful prime minister of India? There’s a quote recently given by Sushmita Sen that “the world would be a better place if a woman decides what she wants from her life”. Absolutely true. From our childhood we as women are taught in the name of values that we should not talk too much, we should not laugh loudly, we should not compete with men in sports, we should learn cooking as our only objective in life goal in life is to raise kids, get married to a person whose supposedly well settled and take care of in laws and their needs. Women learning karate and boxing was unheard of. Wrestling was a field which was a male dominated domain. But we heard of Mary Kom as well we heard of the Phogat sisters as well making their name and fame at national and international level. Military and national defence is yet another field of male dominance for years but not anymore. Ladies are being selected for various roles in Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, not to exclude infantry and combat roles as well. So in future we shall see more women dominating all career fields. The latest name to add to the women leaders is Smt Draupadi Murumu, the honorable madam president of India. And we cannot afford to forget the finance minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman.
So what makes these women leaders? Is it their versatile nature? Is it their adaptability? Is it their endurance and tolerance? Their nature of being compassionate and sympathetic to all human kind despite the gender? The answer is all the above. All the qualities mentioned make a woman a complete woman. In Indian mythology woman is depicted both as kali and also as durga. She’s this manager in the office and she’s the wife mother daughter sister daughter in law, at home. The beauty of a woman is that she blends both the roles so well that she’s the same motherly manager to her subordinates and colleagues at times, forgetting the fact that she may get hurt in the process of being kind to others. And at home at times she’s a manager to her husband and kids where she advises, teaches and many times she takes important decisions for the benefit of the family.
Time and again whether it is home or workplace, women have displayed qualities which make them stand apart in all walks of life. Sarojini Naidu, Lata Mangeshkar, Shreya Ghoshal, are few popular and unforgettable names which glorify womanhood due to exemplary talent. Women have always proved that they make better administrators and managers. Be it the field of teaching, engineering, medicine, law, banking you name it you’ll find women everywhere carving a niche for themselves.
No person is a born leader. Genetics do play a role to a certain extent. But most of the leaders are created or made. There’s a saying “jitna ragda utna tagda” very relatable. Only when gold goes through fire, does it purify. I am not a feminist but if you think carefully, in a patriarchal society of ours, women have time again been oppressed. They have been treated like a burden on family when it comes to marriage and as a competition when it comes to workplace. And as a result we see that crime against women is on the increasing trend. Workplace sexual harassment is not a new topic anymore it has become very common which is a sad thing. And the worst is, most of the time women do not support fellow women. They instead judge them troll them on social media and make fun of them which makes matters worse.
Leadership aside, women at times are not even given the freedom to decide what they want in life. Life partner is chosen by family, friends are chosen by parents, career is a big no no for so called family oriented women even today. And if a woman stands up to her rights decides to end an abusive marriage and live independently, she’s ostracized by the society. Men begin to objectify her for their lustful intentions. They think that since she’s on her own she’s available she can be pushed around and manhandled. These things make the circumstances of a woman more and more difficult and it takes nerve for a woman to emerge a leader keeping aside all her personal, gender related and family problems.
However, though the stereotypes are “karyeshu mantra karneshu daasi bhojeshu maata and shayaneshu Rambha” women know how to rise beyond these and prove that no matter what the hindrance they can still lead from the forefront. Whenever they are trusted with important roles they never fail. They prove that they can be better than the rest in fact they prove that they are the best.
I may be sounding a bit feminist in my tone, but I am proud to be a woman myself. I’ve held important roles I still hold important role in office and also I am a mother a wife a sister a daughter and a daughter in law. And all these complicated roles I essay with ease. And I know all women are capable of the impossible. No matter what the target a woman can do everything.
A final word … “there’s no limit to what we women can accomplish – so think twice thrice hundred times before challenging us – because you’re defeat will not be a pleasant one”. Jai Hind.
By Rakhi Bhargava
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