What characterizes a WOMAN? Who is a WOMAN? What does she symbolize? What is she expected to do, how is she expected to behave?

And who, just WHO gets to decide the answers to these questions……

The incidences of rape increase everyday. The minute any girl, woman or lady decides to express their opinion against it, they are shut down with comments like, “Aren’t you ashamed to be talking about such things?” or “It’s the girl’s mistake, she should have been more careful! So don’t go encouraging her bad behaviour!” or “So if you support her, then that must mean, you have done such things in your past as well” etc. And the reaction amongst the general female population is to go further into hiding, to further hide their true selves, and become silent.

And the most sad thing about all this is that, its not even men who say all those things. Its WOMEN. Other women who judge and belittle and hurt other women and hold them back from success, and us from development.

HOW do we expect feminism and women’s rights to grow on the one side when we pick and tear at it from the other side????

This is the situation today. Every time a girl or woman makes a bold choice, she is judged and harassed with rude hurtful words, and it only stops if and only if she succeeds. And then, every wrong word she heard, turns to false pleasantry.

This is the 21st century. We have women working in almost all fields of business, health care,tourism and travels, engineering, software,IT, etc.

Women…. We are daughters, sisters, friends, aunts, nieces, granddaughters, health caretakers, cooks, drivers, housemaids, teachers, discipliners. Yes, we are all that. But we’re also more.

We’re Mothers, Doctors, Nurses, Teachers, Engineers, Entrepreneurs, Business Partners, Lawyers, Farmers, Store owners, Artists, Dancers, Singers…..

Why do we pull each other down, when we can achieve all that and more?

Let’s stop the judgment, the name calling, the shaming. This should start from ourselves. It should start from little things, like appreciating a woman when she looks good and keeping silent when it doesn’t follow our style opinions, and like when we see a woman in need, we go and help her instead of just judging or talking about how she got into such a situation, in being a silent shoulder to lean on when a girl is in trouble, instead of shaming her. Its the little things. Those that will make a difference.

It’s fine that some women, prefer to stay at home, and choose nurturing the family above other stuff. It’s admirable to still keep to the older traditions of staying at home and being a more family-oriented person. But that does not give you the right to judge career-oriented women and their daily choices just because they don’t match your opinions or view on life. In the same way, it’s not upto career-oriented women to judge family oriented women for not reaching their potential. It’s not right. The grass is always greener on the other side. It isn’t upto us to judge anyone else. If we can support them, then fine, but if it doesn’t play to our beliefs, then it’s better to be silent.

We are Women.

We are Born to be Brilliant,

      Exist to be Extraordinary,

And should Live to be Legendary….