Wednesday, August 4, 2010

My Feminine Instincts


While recently filling an application form we came across an all familiar section for title. The options included Mr, Mrs & Ms. All the male folks out there, you are united by these forms regardless of the fact that you said 'I do'. The fairer sexes, you are yet to be recognized independently. You need the support of either your parents or husband, so the form says!

We say, as a country, we've become independent more than half a century back. The world has seen the empowerment of women in many ways than one. We've had Presidents, Business Heads and the Power Houses for multiple strata of society from the female species. Do we still need a differentiation between married and unmarried women?

The world speaks so much about men and women, the fairness of gender wherein one is no more superior to the other. One more generation passes and it shall be a non-existent scene, where parents worry about marrying off their daughters. Young women are breaking free themselves from the clutches of the societal norms that sketch their destiny for future. Those days will soon appear in the pages of History books when a girl stood in silence while her parents decided the groom for her.

The modern day women must realize that this separation of their gender based on the marital status is nothing but the age old British political strategy of Divide & Rule. Why do you need a separation when a man can be 'Mr' irrespective of the status? What makes the men privileged to have the unique identification? This is a true case of planned attempt to create an identity crisis among the gender that once used to be the bear-all category of society!

The bigger question will be why do women need a separate qualifier to address the presence or absence of the other half in their life? What difference does it make if a girl is married or otherwise? The taboo associated with an unmarried woman is again an evolved evil from the yester years of the present society. Why should you let that create a division?!

Many religions speak about God creating the human race with man and woman being equal. Of course, God as an entity being considered male, is a totally different debate altogether. The thought here is if we were created equally, at what course of history did that become less equal?

Equality should not remain only as a topic of discussion. It needs to be a way of life, among the thoughts shared, the challenges faced and the decisions taken. The moment you learn to respect your co-species and accept that they are as much a part of the environment, you inherited from the previous generation which makes you equally superior as the rest; the distinction will cease to exist.

Who does not love a peaceful world?!!

10 comments:

  1. macha..... it’s apt that you gave the title as "My Feminine Instincts" because just like every other female instinct its completely wrong.
    The sole reason why you see Mrs & Ms honorifics in all forms in not to distinguish between a married women and unmarried women but to know if the woman is married… is she using her husband’s last name. Married women can still use Ms if she continues to use her née.
    That’s the real reason for it but that practice is long gone and people wrongly believe its to differentiate between ones marital status.

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  2. Itz a gr8 thought....good Blog.!!!!!

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  3. @ Sudhakar: The practice of changing names post marriage is largely discontinued these days. Hence the very purpose itself does not hold good anymore dude.
    @ Prerna: Good to hear that you liked it :)

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  4. i wouldn't say its discontinued.... its a matter of choice. And the one's who do, can check the "Mrs" box. Which is why its there in the first place.

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  5. @Sudhakar: My primary question is, why even create a difference like that? As we live in an equal society, why should only a man be identified with one title, but a woman with two?
    @Zara: Thanks :)

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  6. One more great one jerry!!!! However there will be a very few who thinks like u..... I respect ur thought...and appreciate the fact that atleast few started thinking logically....:-)

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  7. @Suma: Am happy that you liked this one & thanks for those good words :)

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  8. Jerry berry, this is so much in line with my thoughts as well. I always wonder why application forms want to have a person's personal status. It's obscure! On the same lines, i was reading Shobha De's Super star India where she writes this fantastic chapter on the 'Mrs'. It about our parent's generation where mother were introduced by dads in any gathering as 'she is my Mrs' This poor Mrs had been devoid of an identity! while am happy that we've moved away from that phase for good, we still have a long way to go!

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  9. @Hakuna: Really happy that you liked the post :) It is all about the change in the perspectives. People really need to know that all what they've deep embedded in their mind need not necessarily be true.

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