DEBATE

FOR THE TOPIC

A women! She is a daughter, wife and a mother, the three backbones of a family. In India, people think that women are weak and can’t do anything over this I just want to give my opinion that

 ‘If a women can bear the pain while giving birth to a child then there is nothing impossible for a women’

In Indian society, it is assumed that if a men is working then what is the need of a women to work? ’ Women deserve equal rights to men. I don’t see any losses in women working after marriage, in fact it will bring more benefits to the economic condition of the family. Women are independently strong and have the ability and strength to work. We are living in a developing country and in 21^st century where mostly everything is fair enough for both the genders then why to differentiate them on the basis of work?

Now the only question arising against the women working is that, “who will look after the children if the women started working after marriage?”  So basically according to this women is only there to take care of the children and do the household chores after marriage. If a women can get paternity leave then why not a men? OH! Haa they’ll not be allowed because they are a “MEN”… correct! No it’s just that it all starts from the social stigma and pressure that a men will be sitting at home. In India, if a women can be with the child with her paternity leave for the first 3-4 years for his/ her growing age then father is also equally responsible for the further growth of the child. The child needs the father as well in his growing age.

So dear men, if you think that “you earn enough that is why the wife don’t need to work”. Then let me make a thing clear that it’s not about earning money it’s all about financial independence of the women. She has the right to work anytime, anywhere and with anyone. And if you think that independent women is leading to rise of divorce cases in India, and as per my assumption it’s good for women because they can finally break out of abusive marriages. And dear men, if you think that divorces are bad for children then abusive marriages are worse for them.

AGAINST THE TOPIC

The only thing that can oppose the topic is that

“If the women started working after marriage then who will look after the household and children?”

This is true that a women has the right to do everything in India but if she starts working then the whole scenario will be different. If she is working then you need to hire a maid to look after the household work (and the children). And in India if you hire a maid in some metropolitan cities they will easily charge some Rs10000-15000. And beside the children is spending their whole day with an outsider. You even don’t know how reliable the person is and you believe in them and leave your children with them for a whole day. Small children always need their parents around because some children who do not get the attention of their parents in early days are tend to get frustrated and sad.  A child always needs a parent to look after them specially the mother.

In India, if a women ties herself with another person and also own a child of her own blood and flesh then you as a women is no more independent it is just selfishness. You cannot leave your house or your child who is just growing up with some unknown person whom you call as the “maid”.

If you are a married women in India and also own a child then you don’t expect your in-laws to take care of the child for a whole day just because the mother is working out. If the children are grown up and grown up and goes to school then there will be no one to give them food and take care of them after coming from school.

A working women is expected to work for a one whole day and come back in the evening and do the left out household work and then she will be tired by working for whole day and after all these she’ll go and sleep and end her day. In all these there is no time for her to spend some time with her family, ask her children about their studies and teach them moral values.  Family and households are the main jobs of a women after marriage, she will not be able to hold all these at once. If she has the house and a child then it’s her duty to look after them.

This Blog Post is writtern by Kumud.

Feminist Rani, written by two award winning journalist; Shaili Chopra and Megha Pant who presented India’s most powerful voices on Gender Equality. The book is collection of 14 path-breaking and thrilling journeys of personalities like Kalki Koechlin, Gurmehar Kaur, Gul Panag, Rana Ayyub, Tanmay Bhat and many more. These people have advocated gender equality and are inspiriting society to break gender stereotypes through their work.

What is Feminism? The answer is not that complicated. Feminism is not misandry, it is not about being loud or only about “female”. Feminism is not about a “type”. According to Sapna Bhavani, “feminism to her is like masculinity to a man; he is not asked what means to be masculine on a daily basis”. The true purpose of feminism will be achieved when patriarchy will end. According to my understanding, feminism is a movement for gender equality. The definition of feminism is fluid in nature, what might be convincing for me might not convince you, but ultimately feminism is about equality and freedom.

The name of the book is not appealing to me, “Feminist Rani”, the whole book talks about gender equality and yet the word “Rani” which literally means “female aristocrat” does not match with the concept. “Feminist Icons” or “Feminist Indians” would have been a gender-neutral name for the book.

Secondly, editing of the content in the second half of the book is not correctly done which has muddled the author’s opinion. The content would have been much clear if the interviews were presented in Question and Answer form rather than a storytelling manner.

Lastly, out of 14 interviews, there only 2 men and 1 transgender interview and the rest of them are given by women. This ratio does not represent gender equality. Also, the author should have included a summary or added a concluding statement which would have given the book a satisfactory ending.

On the other side, the book provides various outlooks on feminism. Film star like Kalki Koechlin struggled to hold her own identity after marriage, Deepa Malik (a Paralympian) started winning medals internationally but not nationally and the family of Shree Gauri Sawant did not accept her sexual orientation. Patriarchy is found in every institution of the Indian society and it affects everyone.

The book is a mixed bag of experiences and inspiring stories. The informal language and setting while the author is taking the interview makes the reader involved in the content and gives the essence of the personalities.

The book does not only educate but it also sensitizes the readers about the issue. It covers all the issues of patriarchal society from Aarefa Johari’s Female Genital Multination struggle to Aditi Mittal’s challenge of becoming a comedian.

All the personalities believed that feminism starts at home and from within. They have shared motivating words which give hope to the readers and inspire them to work on equality on a daily basis.

“The same boiling water softens the potato and hardens the egg.” These words by the author inspired me the most. It is about what we are made up of and not our circumstances. We need to get strong from the inside and fight.

I recommend this book to every citizen of India because it explains the true meaning of feminism and ignites mind to become one.

This blog post is written by Priya Valaniya. Please comment your views. Thank you.

Mia is sub brand from the jewellery brand tanishq, released it’s digital campaign with the drop dead beautiful film #BESTATWORK . This film has been conceptualised by Lowe Lintas and produced by Remarquer films, Nandita Das narrating an epic poem , “ last thing on my mind”.

This advertisement has a very beautiful narration of poem which is based on working women who are used to seeing cliched, stereotypical thrown at them.

First stanza :

“To those who live in their bubble,

That a girl can’t juggle between the office and the home ,

because they think it will be such a struggle.

Well, it’s the last thing on my mind”.

These lines describes how stereotypical mindset people think that a women won’t be able to handle her job if she is married, here comes this ad breaking all the norms saying that it’s the last thing on a women’s mind.

Another stanza :

“Whoever came up with this silly notion,

That a girl should dress according to her profession?

Well, it’s the last thing on my mind”.

“And how they sit and smirk,

That if a girl look good she’s probably not good at her work

Well, it’s the last on my mind”.

This film showcases an ambitious women not only brings her best at work but also she dressed well to work . Well dressed good looking girls are often said and taken as dumb at workplace is a mere stereotypical notion , here this brand beautifully portrays that you can wear whatever you want and still make your best being confident at your workplace .

Film also does it’s best promoting the brand and at the same time social message. In my opinion this makes it look like the brand is not only concerned about promoting brand but also in breaking norms by spreading social awareness. Brand has a philosophy feels need to have social responsibility which attracts consumer and helps to create a good “brand image”.

This brand does it research and come up with a beautiful campaign not asking people to “change the mindset” but potraying that how women’s have change themselves, women’s nowadays don’t care what society has to say about them but focused on more of doing their best at work.

Hello everyone this blog is written by Asifa khan , please do let me know your opinions in the comment section .thanks!

Gone are the days when women used to fight for the consideration of their talents. Earlier women’s fought for the legal reforms, probably the struggle was to get out of the house. It took so much time to believe that even females can come out and work more better than males . Even today situation is not much better, they still has to fight for the position, equal wages, promotions, opportunities and most importantly the respect they deserve.

First women was the photo journalist vyarawalla was popularly known as ‘Dalda 13’ having started her career in journalism in the 1930s . Prior to the 1960s newsroom were 100% males whereas till the late 1980s , women reporters were barred from doing night duty which was the double edge disadvantage for the women .

There were days when journalism was considered to be a predominantly male domain. Serious issues are those where gender discrimination takes place while assigning stories to cover or changing beats in which they are very good at it .

We live in a country where women report on terror and politics and much more yet men don’t consider them as their equals .

Whereas recently the me too movement revealed that there are so many women journalist out there went through sexual harassment from colleagues and editors accusing them for unwanted touches , demands for sex, and discrimination of pornography .

Lately it came out that women journalist face risk of physical assault, rape, and even murder, threats. Social media platform is one of a major tool of online harassment where people sends abusive messages , comments ,Dismissive trolling, threatening messages . Rape and death threats and other forms of gendered abuse is directed when they express their opinions online. Probably we need to raise awareness about the online harassment and should take initiatives about how to tackle the online violence against women.

There should be gender sensitive approach to strengthening the safety of women in the workplace, and end the discrimination towards women’s and provide them education, employment and the equal opportunities. Also there should be gender equality as it stimulates economic growth which is important for the developing country.

Hello! This blog is by Asifa khan , Do not forget to comment down your views about the blog . Thanks!

‘Boys don’t cry’, ‘Boys will be boys’, ‘Pink is for girls and Blue is for boys. How many times have we heard these statements in our daily lives and passed it on as a norm? How many times have we normalized concerning behavior by young boys and termed it off as just ‘what boys usually do’? How many times have we appreciated a boy’s looks because he was muscular, rugged looking and ‘manly’ in the generalized sense? All these are the fibers which eventually forms into a root which becomes deeply ingrained in the minds of young boys and men.

Masculinity literally means ‘a set of roles, qualities, behaviors and attributes associated with boys and men. It is a social concept and develops from socialization; in the sense the ‘Society’ sows the seeds of this idea into young boys as they grow.

Masculinity itself is not toxic. It becomes toxic when the society tries to reinforce certain ‘rules’ as a norm on others. Toxic masculinity is when ‘men’ not allowed to act in a certain way because it might reduce the ‘manliness’ in them and make them less of a man than they already are. When a male is told not express his emotions or sentiments because it would make him ‘feminine’ or ‘less of a man.’ When a male is told to act strong and tough always (both in physical and emotional ways). When a male isn’t allowed to pay much attention to his looks because he must look ‘manly’, ‘rugged’ and must maintain a look of toughness; these are some ways toxic masculinity could be imposed on males.

Toxic masculinity, the name itself suggests how poisonous and contaminated it can become for every man who is forced to live in such a manner. It becomes not only harmful but also suffocating because of the pressure of the society; men cannot reveal their true feelings and suffer internally. This also gives rise to a lot of disorders like anxiety, depression and can be fatal.

Toxic masculinity is definitely not a new thing. It has been existing since centuries in various forms and practices. It is just that now those behaviors and psychological persuasions can be termed under noxious and hence originated the name ‘toxic masculinity’. But regardless masculinity cannot be termed as toxic and negative in every sense because there always many spheres of a particular topic.

On the other side, the rise of ‘soft masculinity’ and ‘metro sexuality’ is changing the perspective of men and masculinity in many senses.

Soft masculinity is a new way of masculinity which allows men to accept, appreciate and express themselves in any way that they like. It is the acceptance of ‘anima’ the unconscious feminine side present in a male. (According to Carl Jung’s school of analytical psychology as part of his theory of the collective unconscious). In the world of soft masculinity, a male (heterosexual/homosexual; regardless of the sexuality) is free to take care of his ‘beauty’ by using skincare, applying makeup, getting pedicures/manicures etc. to look good and presentable.

Here, doing all these things is not considered feminine because it’s just a man taking care of his appearance and style because he likes it and wants to look good. Metro sexuality is when men take extra care in dressing themselves and are fashionable. There is no questioning of what sexuality he belongs to.

The idea of soft masculinity and metro sexuality began from East Asian Countries like South Korea, Japan and China; where applying makeup for men and dressing fashionably is common for men and not considered feminine.

In India, Bollywood is the reason behind the rise in metro sexuality. Stars like Ranveer Singh, Hritik Roshan etc. who actively dress up and portray themselves as a metro sexual man of the century are appreciated. Also fashion designers like JJ Valaya, and Shantanu & Nikhil are bringing up new trends to normalize the act of dressing up as a man or metro sexuality.

Soft masculinity however is still not very relevant in India. The world of toxic masculinity is far too strong for this new world to overcome it so quickly. Yet new definitions of masculinity are on the rise through novels, documentaries and online videos. Slowly and gradually, it will eventually happen in India.

The difficult question with a tension so sharp to slice the air, hangs in for any male of this century is that, which path does he eventually choose to become a ‘man’. And does he ever come across the answer to the question – ‘How to be a man?’

This blog post is written by Anamika Chaudhuri. Constructive Criticisms and Feedback is always welcome.

Summary of the movie:

‘Parched’ is an Indian movie written and directed by Leena Yadav which was released in 2015 and premiered in the Toronto International Film Festival. The film is centered on four women who live in a village in the western parts of India. The film revolves around the lives of the four women who have different issues that they face in live. They are trying to survive the enormous burdens of social practices of the society while simultaneously trying to manage a living in this world. Four women and four different lives but they are tied by one uniting thing – friendship. The movie talks about how the four women try to find solace in each other while learning new things, experiencing new feelings and getting a taste of freedom in their own different ways.

Rani (Tannishtha Chatterjee) who has been a widow almost half her life, is trying to get her son Gulab married to a young fifteen year old girl named Janaki (Leher Khan). Rani’s friend Lajjo (Radhika Apte) is a childless woman who keeps trying to conceive a baby. She also tries her best to please her husband despite receiving the bitter taunts, violence and ill-treatment by him. Bijli (Surveen Chawla) is a local exotic dancer who wears provocative clothing, dances in front of men and sometimes even indulges into spending the night with men. Rani, Lajjo and Bijli had been friends despite the backlash Bijli faces due to her profession. They accept Janaki as their own and try to give her a good life despite the harsh treatment given by her husband (Gulab, Rani’s son). All the women are technically independent as they earn by selling pieces if embroidery to a local entrepreneur. The entrepreneur Kishan (Sumeet Vyas) and his wife Naobi (Nancy Nisa Beso) who is a Manipuri and a teacher by profession, work together to provide employment to the women in the village. The couple is seen as an outcast by some villagers because of their educated and modern views. The entwined lives of these women and the turning point in their lives when they realize the purpose of their lives, bring a twist in the film which helps with the character development and story setting of the film.

Analysis:

The very fact that the film’s name is ‘parched’ suggests a variety of things that were portrayed in the movie relating to the title. Parched means ‘thirsty’ and here in the film, the four women are withered, thirsty and longing for a taste of ambrosia in their life in the form of freedom, sexual desires, newfound feelings and independence.

 Rani who has not been in an active relationship with a man for more than 10 years of her life, feels drenched with desires yet cannot find the courage to pursue them and is too busy setting a lavish life for her son. Janaki, the young bride wants to study and conquer many things in her life but is stuck in an unwanted child marriage with Gulab. Lajjo who is lively, smart and talented women and is capable of so many things gets trapped by her own demons and is in continuous pressure of pleasing her husband. Bijli, already seen as an exile, wants to leave behind the ‘impure’ profession and start a new life. She also wants to accept who she is and has been and know her worth.

The film dealt with serious issues like child marriage, marital and familial rape, domestic violence, considering sexual desires as a taboo and patriarchy. How some women are still treated in this century was revealed to the viewers. And the world hasn’t become as developed and modern as it seems to be was also exposed by this movie. Patriarchy at its finest was revealed again to portray the treatment against women in villages and rural areas.

The tone of the movie was serious with certain humorous scenes to catch the attention of the viewers. The cinematography managed to capture the essence of the scenes powerfully. The costumes also were very fitting to the movie and managed to contribute to the tone of the film. The actors very well managed to portray the soul of the characters and backed the film well. The film was creatively presented to the audience yet was able to practically and sensibly the message to the viewers.

My Opinion:

I liked this movie mainly because how well the director was able to convey the story of different women in a very raw yet captivating manner to the audience. There is absolutely nothing like sweet romance or lovey-dovey or fairy-tale like in the movie. But it manages to capture one’s attention in a bewitching manner. It makes you numb, dazed and sends you on turmoil of emotions throughout the film. 

This blog post is written by Anamika Chaudhuri. Constructive Criticisms and Feedback is always welcome.

All of us are aware of the word feminism and some of us are feminists as well. We somewhat know how the word feminism was formed and how did the feminist movement start?! We also know famous people who contributed to the feminist movement across the globe. Talking about our country India, very little is known about the history of feminism movement that took place here. Of course we know a few females who contributed to the movement here, but, a lot of heros remain unacknowledged.

I came across a blog named Feminism Through The Ages in India: An Empowering Journey by Sanchari Pal. This blog gives a complete account of feminism right from the pre Independence era to the post Independence era, how feminism flourished, how the Indian society became a women inclusive society and the current status of feminism in India.

A similarity between the Indian feminist movement and the Western feminist movement is that only the women from affluent classes could raise a voice. People who acquired wealth, knowledge and power could make efforts to change the societal norms and practices with respect to women. Also, the basis on which the feminist movement began in the West and in India was the same: the demand for equal representation in the society and the public sphere; demand for political and economic rights; universal adult suffrage; laws for problems in the domestic sphere.

The Indian culture considers men important, due to which they get privileges in the society. Since the Vedic period, women have been making efforts to change the societal system and finally in the twenty first century many changes are seen. Many feminist men and women received a heavy backlash in the past for trying to include women from all the strata of the society and treating them equally.

The blog by Sanchari Pal talks about Gargi in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad stating her profound sense of debating with Yajnavakya. A few years later, Queen Didda who ruled Kashmir was called the Cathrine of Kashmir due to her political survival skills and ability to rule. In the 17th century, Bibi Dalair Kaur formed an all woman army to fight against Mughal forces. At the age of 14, Rani Rudrama Devi fought several battles against men who were against her rule due to gender. Rani Chenamma of Kittur in Karnataka was the first woman ruler to lead an army to fight against the British East India Company; In Maharashtra, Tarabai of Kolhapur, Anubai of Ichalkaranji and Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi fought against the British. Savitribai Phule along with her husband, Jofoba Phule for for the Injustices against women. Rabindranath Tagore’s sister Swarnakumari Devi was a social worker; she started an initiative called Sakhi Samiti which worked for orphan girls, widows and poverty stricken women in Bengal. During Independence, many women’s organizations came up– these organizations demanded for greater political and economic rights for women. By 1970s, Indian feminist writings by Lalitambika Antharajanan, Toru Dutt, Ismat Chugtai and Mahesmita Devi were appreciated globally.

If you are interested to read the article by Sanchari Pal, please click on the link: https://www.thebetterindia.com/69782/feminism-through-the-ages-in-india/

This blog is by Anisha Dhomse, if you liked it please share and give your feedback ☺️

Feminism is highly perception based, and, in the recent times it is not just concerned with women but also men and the LGBTQ+ community. In the recent past. I came across Ms. Gauri Sawant’s Ted Talks video on YouTube; Ms. Gauri Sawant is a transgender woman and has been working in several NGOs dealing with the prevention of HIV-AIDS among sex-workers and the transgender community. The Indian culture is very unique; it has mythologically and religiously driven traditions. India has a patriarchal society. India also has a unique lens through which feminism is talked about. I will be reviewing Ms. Gauri Sawant’s Ted Talks video and sharing my views about the transgender community.

Ms. Gauri Sawant on the show shared her journey right from her childhood till date. Ms. Sawant during her childhood was brought up as a boy; she was dressed up as a boy, expected to hangout with boys and play cricket. However, none of these interested Ms. Sawant. Since her childhood she liked to play with girls and dressing up like them, she also behaved like girls. Throughout her childhood, she was instructed to behave like a boy. On the onset of puberty, she started to have hair all over her body including her face which made her uncomfortable. At the age of ten her mother passed away, after which her father stopped talking to her. After being made fun of and question her sexuality, she stopped socializing eventually. Her school and college time was a dreadful phase; one incident she highlighted as a person witnessing conflict about one’s sexuality was ‘what washroom to use?’–she said, “due to this dilemma I understood, having a vagina in one’s mind doesn’t make one a woman, but one has to have a vagina as a body part to be a woman.” In her college time, she started embracing her feminity and once ran away from her family due to an unacceptance of her gender identity. She went to the Mumbai railway station and stayed with the hijra community. Ms. Gauri Sawant talked of the experience as living with loved ones, she felt comfortable in wearing a sari and putting on makeup; her perception about womanhood was understood and she was included. From that day onwards she was proud to be the way she was and embraced it.

She has earlier worked with the Hamsafar Trust– an organization run by men for homosexual people and now she works with Sakhi Chaar Chowghi Trust– to help prevent HIV-AIDS among the sex workers and the Transgender community. She adopted a daughter of a woman who passed away due to HIV-AIDS and has started a shelter service for the children of sex-workers so that they have a good future and this service will be run by the Transgender community. Ms. Gauri Sawant is the first transgender to file a petition under NALSA in the Supreme Court to be recognized as a third gender.

A while ago, I used to look upon the transgender community and be scared of them because my family and the society projected them as people involved in wrong business. By being exposed to gender studies and such videos, I have been gender sensitized. The transgender community has been facing a lot criticism and contempt in the Indian society as it is thought to be deviant from the culture. As the transgenders are involved in sex work, they are victims of catcalling and sexual abuse. The society needs to be sensitive and compassionate towards people of the third gender.

The blog above is by Anisha Dhomse. If you liked the blog please do share and give your feedback 😊

” Sexism goes so deep that at first it’s hard to see; you think it’s just reality”

Alix Kates Shulman

With increase in competition between different brands to outdo each other, social marketing has increased. They can be seen in form of advertisements on different platforms. These advertisements in India have most of their focus on gender, marriages or other such indigenous things. With these advertisements come lot of gender stereotypes too. Indian advertisements have a long history of serving us with cringeworthy highly sexist ads. What is more disappointing is that even in today’s time we come across such advertisements.  Let us analyse two such advertisements:

1. Mother Dairy (Kid and mom ad)

Caution: CRINGE ALERT!!!

https://youtu.be/_0TAHInaWL4

So, the husband in the advertisement at first is highly praising the ‘pulao’ made by his wife. But as soon as she confesses that she broke his school trophy by mistake, the husband’s anger knows no bound. He starts screaming at her and wife just listens to him and apologizes. Then comes the CLIMAX where all of this is witnessed by the couple’s son. His mother then just comes and says, “don’t play cricket in the house from now” and asks him to go and sleep. Oh wow! Are we done here? This shows the amount of patriarchy we still have even in the modern-day societies! Where ideally the son should have gone and apologized in front of his father, he is being made an unaccountable son of future. The way his father shouts at his mother will influence him and make him the same.

The advertisement was made to give a ‘tribute’ to the Indian mothers, but all I can find here is MISOGYNY, PATRIARCHY (to core) and TAKING MOTHERS FOR GRANTED.

• TANISHQ WEDDING JWELLERY AD

Now comes the second ad which will be disappointing you more than you are failing your exam!

https://youtu.be/wg_As8OycpY

 Disappointed much? Yes, I was the same. The ad first gives us the feeling of the woman being independent and career-oriented when her father puts up a marriage proposal in front of her (doesn’t mean that feminists are anti-marriage). Then we see her mother entering a Tanishq’s jewellery store. Within no time the daughter and father enter the store too. The Tanshiq’s employee then dresses the daughter with a duppata and the complete jwellery set (okay, first, when did jwellery store people started doing this?!!). The daughter then gets mesmerized with the jwellery and is quite sad when her mother asks her to remove it as it was bridal jwellery set(and the daughter had declined the marriage proposal) . They get back into the the car and out of no where the girl gets interested in the marriage proposal given to her by her father which surprises him. And suddenly father receives a text from mother which says, “It is been 25 years and you don’t know what a woman wants”. Woah! Seriously? You can trick a woman which will influence her life with a mere diamond jwellery???

So yes, another ridiculous advertisement which shows woman (an independent and a grown-up woman) can be made to agree with you with few scintillating jwells. Next, woman can buy jwellery only when she is getting married. She could have bought the set if she had liked it this much (yes, she got ready to marry for this!).

These  were two of those tons of misogynist advertisements, the Indian ad-makers have created. But they also have some great advertisements which are just so pleasing to watch. Two of them are discussed below.

• HAVELL’S KITCHEN APPLIANCE

https://youtu.be/MaJf0mNMqos

  I thoroughly enjoyed this one. This advertisement has perfect blend of sarcasm, humor and the correct message. Message that woman is not a “kitchen appliance” who is made to satisfy the hunger needs of a man. The campaign started by Havells which was RespectforWomen has been clearly justified with this advertisement.

• FLIPKART #GenE AD

https://youtu.be/lVPlEiWNUxU

Another beautiful ad by Flipkart. This straight away breaks all the gender stereotypes of a society. It does away with that “boys cannot play with a doll” or “girls don’t like cars”. The ad shows a pair of siblings where one is a girl and other is a boy. A beautiful line has been said by them in the ad that “when you make rules for us please make sure they are equal for both of us” and “raise us the way we were born and not the way you were raised”. These lines put the whole advertisements in the crux. It shows how we, as a society, have gendered everything! Right from the colours to the choices of a person.

Flipkart’s attempt to do away with these gender binaries is worth appreciating.

No doubt we have regressive advertisements being made to the date, but we also have progressive ads taking their place. We can now see women in insurance ads, them being shown as boss and many more. Earlier we could find them only in oil, shampoo or jwellery ads. But now women are getting empowered and there is nothing a woman cannot do. They have achieved same position in professional world as that of a man. We thus can see that change is happening, but it will take time to just do away with regressive content advertisements.

Thank you for reading my blog post. This was a blog post by Saloni Garg. All kinds of comments are welcomed. 😊