My freedom is not in your hands.

In this auspicious time of Navarathri I felt it appropriate to write on the topic of women and power…

(Navarathri is a 9 day Hindu festival in honour of the Divine Mother Durga and Her victory over evil as She fought with and finally slayed the demon, maheshasura.)

And while my posts are more towards people empowerment or upliftment and not really for a specific gender, I felt that writing on women and power would be apt, especially since there has been so much of slander in the media on feminism and the Me Too campaign.

The purpose of the Me Too campaign is to give a platform on social media for people (men and women) who were sexually abused or violated, to speak out using the #MeToo hashtag. However in recent incidents, people are turning the tables, and are making it appear that men are the actual victims of the #MeToo movement. Because of possible defamation from the women who are speaking about their experiences.

Isn’t this an inhumane way of behaviour? To first, make one gender feel less powerful, then judge them and sexually abuse them? Then frighten them into being silent about the whole ordeal? With no care whatsoever on the impact this will have on their mental, emotional and physical state of mind? And then to top it all, degrade the platform on which there were given the opportunity to let go and speak out of their pain? And then make the gender who did do all of this to them, appear to be the victims? Ha! Such a horrible  world to be in! Oh yes and this #MeToo movement also pertains to men. Sexual violence or violation of one’s body does not only pertain to one gender. So why is it that society rather degrade a woman who speaks out? But if a man does then same, the same society treats the situation a whole lot differently?

Aren’t we all human beings? Don’t we all suffer in one way or another? So shouldn’t we get together and just be loving (in abundance) to each other? Can’t a woman dress and go anywhere she pleases without being judged? Can’t a man do the same without being cheered on for his ‘freedom’. Can’t we view both the man and woman with the same set of eyes, as two people leading their life however they please?

Then we get feminism. Which basically is the term for people (yes men can be feminists too) who promote equal rights for women as well. And there is nothing wrong with that. I mean if it weren’t for those people who fought for women’s rights we would still be living in ancient times where women weren’t allowed to vote, hold certain job titles and positions, act or dance, and so much more… Yet society rather degrade feminists terming them as extremists. Extremists in what exactly? The same society chooses to ignore the war and pain (that men) are causing in this world. The raping, abuse and torture of children and women, the killing of innocent men and forcefully impregnating teenage girls (rape). Not to mention the inhumane ways they are killing and torturing animals for food. That is extreme. Yet we close our eyes thinking it is ‘normal’ for a man or men to behave in that way.

We are programmed in to thinking that war is okay and that the people of one country or area are more important that people from another. That is extreme.

People who are given the platform to speak of experiences of sexual abuse, are not extreme. People who promote a world which is safe for women, are not extreme. People who fight for the rights of women (and men) are not extreme. People who fight for animals rights, are not extreme. And hopefully soon, society will wake up to a world where people (both men and women) are free to speak out of their life experiences without fear or worry of what ‘people may think or say’.

What are your views on this? Let me know in the comments below.

Love

Salona