Do you feel strongly about something? This is a page for those who can write to us human-interest stories and anecdotes, people, places and events that influenced their lives, thought and action. Send in your entries to editor@evestimesonline.com along with your photograph.

We are happy to start with the most  eloquent, thought-provoking orator  in this edition.

WHY WE DON’T WANT TO BE EQUAL TO MEN

Fiery and exemplary orator Renuka Chowdhury, Honb’le Minister of State for Women and Child Development  never abandons an opportunity to have a dig at humanity for its male chauvinistic mindset. But if you ponder over her views, every word she utters, in humour or otherwise carries a deeper, intrinsic meaning, which urges us to induce a change in society. An excerpt from her speech in Delhi, during the launch of ‘The Voyage to Excellence’, a book on India’s top 21 women business tycoons, written by our Consultant Editor Nischinta Amarnath and her colleague Debashish Ghosh.

“God had great vision of what women are capable of. He entrusted finance with Lakshmi, Education with Saraswathy and Home (security) with Durga. It took much later for the Government of India to understand that. Yet, we are still looking after the Women & Child Welfare department. (As though men have nothing to contribute here!)

Why is being a woman still an issue with us today? Why is it that we take no cognisance of a woman’s achievements in a globalized world? Why are women still discriminated against? The journey for women is not easy. This is true for women across the world. This is because a girl is not viewed as socially equitable or one who is useful and productive to the family she belongs to. Little wonder that she is projected as such by our legislation, administration and even the media and the film world.

Even corporate entities do not address the fundamental needs of women. Even huge corporates do not provide adequate toilet facilities for women at workplaces. Those who employ women must include the needs of women. I don’t want to be equal to man because I would then be lacking in ambition!
 
For workingwomen, having a family and children, god forbid, must never be a western example of an ‘either-or’ choice. There is no question of saying,  ‘either I get a promotion or have a child.’ It can never be that. It is because we are able to do both that we don’t want to be equal to men. It is because we are capable of doing much more that we don’t want to be equal to men!

Why don’t we have crèches in huge corporates? Why should a mother leave a sick child behind at home and attend to the accounts in her office, when her mind is far away? Would you respect a human being who would not look after a sick child? That is the change we have to finally make. That is the googly we have to throw. We have to alter corporate laws.

Also, I am not going to power dress in the boardroom to facilitate men. I must dress as I am so that I am happy about myself. No man alters his dress for me. Then why should I do that? We should respect the difference in our identities.

Earlier we had to fight against men for our identity. We don’t want to fight anymore. My message to men is –“We want to take you along with us.  You must be willing to walk with us, shoulder to shoulder. We are no longer seven steps behind you. And we need don’t want you to walk behind us either as we don’t know what you will do behind our backs! It is really macho to respect a woman you are married to, your friend or a woman who works for you. The really masculine thing that a man can do is to facilitate women to traverse the journey from being a daughter to being a useful member of the society.”