I have a huge confession to make. I hadn't seen Pink. Me. Someone who talks about feminism as much as she talks about food. In my defence I had read and heard about it. And I knew what it entailed and applauded the concept of women standing up for themselves against the lifelong bullies... Men.
I finally saw the movie today. Thought it would be a nice start to a lazy weekend. And while I watched all I kept thinking was this is so true. So true. I am still struggling to come to terms with the balls, yes balls, these women had. Even in a fictional world it must be hard for them to portray characters which are not only self-assured but also strong enough to take on the powerful and connected of the world.
I wish I could say that was true of me and the women around me. We all pretend to be these self-sufficient, gutsy, independent women who are living alone and making it in the world. But we never do stand up for ourselves. So I would like to apologize.
I apologize that I don't take the metro if I'm in a dress or short skirt. I'm sorry that I have left jobs because my reporting boss would talk to my chest and not my face. I'm sorry I never had the guts to complain about the colleagues and seniors who would undermine my work because I was a woman.
I am sorry that I worked in newsrooms where a bra strap and short dress led to 'healthy' flirting while enraged lines flashed on the screen about the woman's right to say no. I'm sorry that I made fun of the girl who didn't get news, but who did get ahead by getting around. I didn't realise that it was your way of surviving.
Pink. It made me realise that as an Indian woman I shouldn't expect much. I'm responsible for my safety. A prostitute because of her profession has no rights to say no. A woman with her bra strap showing is asking to be started at. A woman when drinking and clubbing and living alone is just waiting for a man to sex her up.
Pink. A movie that makes us realise that the evils, talk about it and then brush it under the carpet because we all live in the real world where we know the boys would have won and Minal would have been raped while in jail. Where you realise that you still need a man while fighting your battles because you just can't do it alone. That it takes a man to make another realise that a no from a woman does indeed mean 'no'.
Pink. A movie that made me grateful for where I work today, for where I live and who my friends are.
So while you wonder why the rant, think about the stats- 1 out of every 5 women you know has been molested; molested, not cat-called, not leched at, but actually, physically molested. And ask yourself-man and woman- why don't we stand up while I sit here asking myself the same...
I finally saw the movie today. Thought it would be a nice start to a lazy weekend. And while I watched all I kept thinking was this is so true. So true. I am still struggling to come to terms with the balls, yes balls, these women had. Even in a fictional world it must be hard for them to portray characters which are not only self-assured but also strong enough to take on the powerful and connected of the world.
I wish I could say that was true of me and the women around me. We all pretend to be these self-sufficient, gutsy, independent women who are living alone and making it in the world. But we never do stand up for ourselves. So I would like to apologize.
I apologize that I don't take the metro if I'm in a dress or short skirt. I'm sorry that I have left jobs because my reporting boss would talk to my chest and not my face. I'm sorry I never had the guts to complain about the colleagues and seniors who would undermine my work because I was a woman. I am sorry that I worked in newsrooms where a bra strap and short dress led to 'healthy' flirting while enraged lines flashed on the screen about the woman's right to say no. I'm sorry that I made fun of the girl who didn't get news, but who did get ahead by getting around. I didn't realise that it was your way of surviving.
Pink. It made me realise that as an Indian woman I shouldn't expect much. I'm responsible for my safety. A prostitute because of her profession has no rights to say no. A woman with her bra strap showing is asking to be started at. A woman when drinking and clubbing and living alone is just waiting for a man to sex her up. Pink. A movie that makes us realise that the evils, talk about it and then brush it under the carpet because we all live in the real world where we know the boys would have won and Minal would have been raped while in jail. Where you realise that you still need a man while fighting your battles because you just can't do it alone. That it takes a man to make another realise that a no from a woman does indeed mean 'no'.
Pink. A movie that made me grateful for where I work today, for where I live and who my friends are.
So while you wonder why the rant, think about the stats- 1 out of every 5 women you know has been molested; molested, not cat-called, not leched at, but actually, physically molested. And ask yourself-man and woman- why don't we stand up while I sit here asking myself the same...
