Happy women’s day!

On this international women’s day I would like to wish all the lovely ladies out there a very happy women’s day. It’s this one day where everyone will praise you for everything you are and everything you so selflessly do and all the love you shower upon them. One day for treating you like equals. From tomorrow, they are going to go back to calling you feminists, so enjoy it till it lasts and thank them politely. From tomorrow even you can go back to showing them you are not interested in being equal because you know you can be much much better than them 😋

The one thing I would like to tell my beautiful girlfriends and everyone of those wonderful souls is that whatever you do, however good it is, you are going to be judged. If you let this get to you, you are the only one who ends up affected. You are going to be judged for that short dress you wear. You are going to be judged for the 6 yards of beauty you like being draped in. You will be judged for cutting your hair too short and colouring them bright blue. Also for wearing a red lipstick.

You will be body shamed for being too fat, too skinny. For being a homemaker. For being a working woman. For being single. Being married. For being married and working. For being married, having kids AND working. Phew! The list is endless. But the question is, how much should it affect you?

I will be lying if I say it does not affect you at all. It does. The single woman who is making a living for herself, is independent and does not want to “settle down” by getting married is not having it easy. Everytime she hangs out with guys and returns home late, she is tagged as a slut.

The homemaker isn’t having it easy either. People won’t stop at saying, “she is lazy and doesn’t want to work.” They will go a step ahead and say, “she just wants to spend her husband’s money.” The married ones with kids and are working have it easy you think? Wrong! It’s just as bad with things like she can’t prioritise. She will deprive her kids of the motherly affection because she gives that time to her job. Because clearly, multitasking isn’t a woman’s forte, right?

So ladies, whatever you do, it’s not going to be enough. However you do things, you will be criticised and you will be called names. Should you feel discouraged? No. These are the same people who were raising questions like “why should a woman be granted one extra leave on the first day of her period? She bleeds every month. That makes it 12 extra leaves for her!” Also, the same people who went all praises when Akshay Kumar’s ‘Padman’ released. Lets not forget how weirded out they get at the mention of “periods”. And they call us confused! The irony of it. Sigh!

Believe in yourself. Respect the choices you make. Make mistakes. They don’t make you a fool. They are experiences which teach better than any advice bestowed upon by the elders or the all knowing men you come across. Get that crazy haircut you’ve always wanted to. Take that solo trip. Be responsible for your own safety, for your own choices. Protect yourself. Nurture yourself. Pamper yourself. Don’t expect others to do that. Loving yourself is entirely your job. A woman who loves herself makes everyone fall in love with her. Be what you are. Be what you want. Be Yourself.