Why am I a Woman?

Were you ever forced to ask this question to yourself?

Photo by Gemma Chua-Tran on Unsplash

Happy late women's day, you all.

Hope you all celebrated women's day with full zeal and excitement.

Enough of the wishes. Now I want to pose a question in front of you all. Have you ever thought 'Why are you a woman?'. Well, of course, because you have those XX chromosome and all that genetics. But the other way round.

You might have even thought about it for a second in your lifetime, many days abstractly or on many other occasions when system forces you to interrogate. Why am I a woman?

Roughly some of us have encountered some or the other injustices or maybe the tag of being a woman. Through the time there are many out there who've learned to suppress their voice, and some learned to raise it. And the most intriguing part is that this is a cycle which has been running for generations and generations.

We know about the folks who have raised their voices. Not entirely feminists, but a simple woman from a simple community. To note some- Malala Yousafzai, Emma watson,Emma Gonzalez, Amariyanna "Mari" Copeny, Yara Shahidi, Thenmozhi Soundarajan, Samaira Mehta and many others are out there. Hats off to them and their valor and determination.

Now this is not about how to be a feminist but this is more or less about how to oppose the besieging unfairness which you must have been dodging. It is not a lesser known truth about gender disparities all around the world. Stats indeed make them highly noticeable. If you're reading this, then you're either at total comfort or discomfort. But I need you, all the women out there, to be at discomfort. Why?

Because, at your own home, your own local neighbourhood, your city, your country, your system, every minute this gender gap triggers at least one woman at a time. And you are still relaxing in your comfort zone! Wow! Hats off to you too.

To express the plight more broadly, I would take help with a narrative of Mrs Vonchuay & Mrs Rosy -

At a party,

Mrs Vonchuay was sitting at a formal party with her brother on a table with four seats. On one there was she, on other was her brother and on the remaining two seats, two men, which she and her brother barely knew about. Celebration was continuing smoothly. Everybody was experiencing a great time. Now it was time for the main event to commence. Everybody got seated in their seats.

But then suddenly someone taps on the shoulder of Mrs Vounchuay. Mrs Vounchay looks over her shoulder and sees her friend Rosy. Her face evinced stress as she was late to the party. In a murmur she spoke to Mrs Vounchuay, 'I am afraid I might not get a seat.' Mrs Vounchay looked around in pursuit of a seat. She noticed a seat on the table next to her, pointing it out to Rosy who, thankfully walks to the unoccupied seat. Just as she was going to get settled, the woman next to her said, 'Dear lady, this is a seat for man, here already a woman is sitting, there are no further chairs. Please find a table where no woman is seating. As per the rule speaks one woman, three men.'

Mrs Rosy knew there was no such regulation, but that was how everyone had to get accommodated in the room for many former celebrations. She searches around for spots but could not identify a table without a woman.

Nevertheless there were vacant chairs, still she attended the party standing in the corner, pondering, "Why wasn't I born as a man? Why am I a Woman?". Mrs Vounchuay was watching this sight, was full of empathy, but didn't speak a word, hesitant to lose her seat.

Here couldn't Mrs Rosy fight for her seat, can't Mrs Vounchuay request the two men sitting right next to her, who she barely knew, to vacant the seat for her dear friend. Can't Mrs Rosy dare to ask that woman to tell her where the law she stated was written? I assume you are asking yourself or the writer for that.

The answer is: No, she can't. All three care about their pride, their fear of being judged and the fear of being in the spotlight, frankly a bad spotlight, as written in dictionary of society, which practically doesn't even exist. That one seat which is for a woman is an award for the unending cycle which I talked about earlier.

Why does this cycle takes such a long time to give such small rewards? Why are we forced to interrogate ourselves and end in pity every time? Because we choose to be.

Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice.

~Wayne Dyer

As this quote suggests, those three women preferred to be miserable, not to be motivated. They settled for what they received and didn't expect beyond. They didn't motivate themselves.

Today, there is a need for support. A single soul can create a revolution, with no suspicion, but many souls collectively can establish an indeed massive revolution. But it is going to be your own choice. I require you to be at discomfort and raise voice when you had chosen to be suppressed. Take action whenever you have let your weapons down and support others in their struggle for equal opportunity too.

All women out there fight for one more seat at that table. Don't settle for just one. Break stereotypes, which you might have created yourself in your brain.

Don't be reluctant to be too loud. Don't be scared of losing. Don't be afraid of judgements. This is not a war. You don't need to fight with men day in and day out in this process. Of course, you need to fight with those who are unfair. And unfair and unjust includes both men and women. Remember gender equality is about equal power and opportunities for men and women.

This is just an upbringing of a plant who just needs to blossom fully. Don't let the question 'Why am I a woman?' to rise further. So this woman's day make an oath to fight closely for equal opportunity and support each and every woman to touch the sky. Simultaneously, also be the one to praise those who are ascending. Make this cycle of gender inequality be tallied as the last cycle in history.

Happy Women's Day to all.