Alright, this is not cool at all. A recent survey by Nielsen has
revealed that Indian women are the most stressed out in the world: 87%
of our women feel stressed out most of the time. This statistic alone
has caused me to stress out. Even in workaholic America, only 53% women
feel stressed.
What are we doing to our women? I’m biased, but Indian women are the
most beautiful in the world. As mothers, sisters, daughters, colleagues,
wives and girlfriends – we love them. Can you imagine life without the
ladies?
It would be a universe full of messy, aggressive and egomaniacal
males running the world, trying to outdo each other for no particular
reason. There would be body odour, socks on the floor and nothing in the
fridge to eat. The entertainment industry would die. Who wants to watch
movies without actresses?
Kids would be neglected and turn into drug addicts or psychopaths by
age 10. Soon, all-male world leaders would lose their tempers at the
slightest provocation, and bomb the guts out of each other’s countries.
In short, without women and their sanity, the world would perish.
Yet, look at how we Indians, a land of spiritual people, treat them.
At an extreme, we abort girls before they are born, neglect them in
their upbringing, torture them, molest them, sell them, rape them and
honour-kill them. Of course, these criminal acts are performed by a tiny
minority.
However, a majority of us are involved in lesser crimes. We judge,
expect too much, don’t give space and suffocate our women’s
individuality. Imagine if you did this to men – won’t they be stressed
out?
At a broader level, this isn’t just about our women. We Indians have a
habit of exploiting anyone without power. As a flip side, we are
suckers for anyone with power.
We look up to corrupt politicians, keep voting them back, and feel
they have an entitlement to loot us silly, because they are in power. In
fact, we love power so much that when power comes to a woman, we
automatically begin to regard her well too. Goddesses, female
politicians, senior mothers in a household with a firm grip on family
power – they all get our respect. Anyone else doesn’t.
This kind of society, which values power above equality and justice,
doesn’t achieve too much. These societies remain like backward tribes,
because they do not allow people without power to come up, even though
they may have many talents. When we don’t allow our women to come up, or
create stress for them if they do, we are not allowing half of India to
come up. When we abuse our power, we kill the exploited person’s will
to contribute to society. When we believe powerful people are always
right, and the less powerful should be crushed, we resemble a jungle of
animals. And animals don’t progress, humans do.
These regressive attitudes will take a while to change. For now, i
want to give Indian women five suggestions to reduce their stress
levels. One, don’t ever think you are without power. Give it back to
that mother-in-law. Be who you are, not someone she wished you would be.
She doesn’t like you? That’s her problem.
Two, if you are doing a good job at work and your boss doesn’t value
you – tell him that, or quit. Talented, hard-working people are much in
demand. Three, educate yourself, learn skills, network – figure out ways
to be economically independent. So next time your husband tells you
that you are not a good enough wife, mother or daughter-in-law, you can
tell him to take a hike.
Four, do not ever feel stressed about having a dual responsibility of
family and work. It is difficult, but not impossible. The trick is not
to expect an A+ in every aspect of your life. You are not taking an
exam, and you frankly can’t score cent per cent (unless you are in SRCC,
of course). It is okay if you don’t make four dishes for lunch, one can
fill their stomach with one. It is okay if you don’t work until
midnight and don’t get a promotion. Nobody remembers their job
designation on their dying day.
Five, most important, don’t get competitive with other women. Someone
will make a better scrapbook for her school project than you. Another
will lose more weight with a better diet. Your neighbour may make a
six-dabba tiffin for her husband, you don’t – big deal. Do your best,
but don’t keep looking out for the report card, and definitely don’t
expect to top the class. There is no ideal woman in this world, and if
you strive to become one, there will be only one thing you will achieve
for certain – stress.
So breathe, chill, relax. Tell yourself you are beautiful, do your
best and deserve a peaceful life. Anybody trying to take that away from
you is making a mistake, not you. Your purpose of coming to this earth
is not to please everyone. Your purpose is to offer what you have to the
world, and have a good life in return. The next time this survey comes,
i don’t want to see Indian women on top of the list. I want them to be
the happiest women in the world. Now smile, before your mother-in-law
shouts at you for wasting your time reading the newspaper.
