C for Change

Posted on by Parul Thakur
Picture Credits
Picture Credits

Times have changed and so have Indian women. While I know we still have a long way to go, it is important to stop,breathe, reflect and recognize all that is going well for us.

Indian women are changing and the change is now evident at home or at work. There are more women in workplace than a decade before, they are asking for their fair share, they are occupying C level jobs and they are continuing to balance work along with priorities at home. They are the ones who do not want to be called super moms and they are happy to delegate. They adore their children and they also lock themselves up for some “me time”.

I am specifically proud of the ones who are breaking stereotypes and taking charge of their own lives. Look around and you will find the woman who rejected the groom at the altar when he could not add up two numbers or the ones who stand up against men who behaved inappropriately with them. Women who want to tell their parents that marriage is not the ultimate destination in life and the women who are not ashamed of buying sanitary napkins from a store and carry it home without a black polythene cover. She who posted her menstruating picture online and challenged Instagram when it was taken off.

The rape survivor who is helping other women cope up through her NGO and is not shy of shaming the rapist. The women who are ready to call it quits if things do not work at home. The ones who are ready to be single mother and not hang on to husbands for namesake. The ones who don’t cover their head or cloud their feelings but still respect elders. The 23 year old who made a matrimony website when her parents started looking for a suitable groom.

You must have read about Saina Nehwal – she has been ranked world number 1 in Badminton and this did not come easy. Like her, all women go through phases of change and struggle and then the strength within helps them bounce back and emerge successful. Change is not easy but it’s there.

I am blogging from A to Z during April (#480 on the list) and the theme I have chosen is set on women. Some of the posts will be here for you to know and some will be to reflect and accept . Share your thoughts and let me know how things are going. There is always a room for improvement. 

77 thoughts on “C for Change”

  2. I think an important lesson is that we have to keep fighting for those hard earned rights and defend them tooth and nail. It’s astonishing to me to see how women are treated today in Afghanistan, for example, considering that they had so much freedom less than 50 years ago. Makes you wonder… making progress doesn’t mean avoiding setbacks so we have to work hard at keeping what we’ve earned and deserve. Keep up the good fight!

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  4. I so agree Parul but most often I find most women trying to drag in the “women thingy” everywhere they deem fit, where it doesn’t belong. It’s about equality but it’s sad to see them using it as a trend and convenience thrashing the very meaning. A great post and I wish people understand the change you talk about and see it for themselves! 🙂 Best Wishes!

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    1. Yes Shashank – I have also seen women use it all over without even considering what’s right and what’s not. So, I am totally against any feminism that’s just for the heck of it.
      Thank you for stopping by!

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    1. In a big country like ours Catherine, there will always be things that are good and things that worry us. When we talk about issues and feel bad, we should also congratulate ourselves on things that are going good. It’s like balancing! 🙂

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  7. Change takes time one day at a time, one step at a time.. surely things have changed for a lot of us. Hopefully, things will change for the better even for those who are not aware of their rights. Good post!

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    1. Thanks Shantala! I really appreciate that you went through the links. It’s hard for me to write crisp posts on such topics so I’m trying to embed links. Those interested like you will surely read and even if one person reads, I feel so good. Thank you thank you!! ☺️☺️

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  11. Read the links you have added here. I liked the one where the girl dumped the groom. So many people would have just gone with it, thinking about what people would say if the marriage is broken at that point but she was brave not to think about such things and take a decision for her own good 🙂 A very good post Parul 🙂

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  13. Yes change is inevitable. I guess each generation of women go through an evolution and there are always some good aspects to it and some not so good. Probably in 50 years time, women will look back and wonder how the women of this decade lived, just like we wonder how the women of decades gone lived. Would I rather have a man who was honest and kind and loving who couldn’t add well or a man who was a mathematical genius who was a drunkard, abusive and a wife beater. I know what I’d go for and it wouldn’t be the abusive mathematical genius.

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  14. Well said. Things are changing and the change has worked out well for some women, but there are still so many who are forced to follow the regressive ways of the society, whose wings are clipped. Nevertheless, it is a beginning but we have miles to go to bring about the much needed change.

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  16. It’s wonderful to hear these inspiring stories coming out of India. I’ve longed to visit for many years but have worried about all of the rape stories we hear in the West. I pray always for India and for the strength of the women there. Namaste!

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  17. I agree with you when you say CHANGE is very much here. The recent news about Rati Agnihotri finally filing a complaint against her businessman husband for physical and mental abuse is a case in point. She’s garnered the guts to do it after suffering it for 30 years. Kudos!

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    1. Yes, I read that piece of news! Imagine it took her 30 years to stand for herself but she did that and set an example for so many more women. Thank you for stopping by!

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  18. Change is never easy. It takes so much courage to break the mold, rebel and move in the direction we want! Lovely post, Parul. I am blessed to have grown up with people who had that courage. Happy A to Z-ing!

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  21. I’d read all of those stories in the last month, in addition to the woman abandoning her groom at the altar for being a narcoleptic. I think it’s all wonderful and powerful change. They should all be proud of the future they are building. 🙂

    Alex Hurst, A Fantasy Author in Kyoto
    A-Z Blogging in April Participant

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  22. Great post, Parul. Change is here, very true. It might take some more time to see the full effect but yes, things have changed a lot now and will continue to do so. Your posts are so well written that I don’t mind battling with the poor connection to send a comment here. :)well done.

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  25. The picture is power and I interpret it as the quest for spiritual freedom. You’ve depicted women in different walks who never shy away from achieving the best. Today, women believe in the self and it matters most than any other thing. Superb and thought-provoking:)

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  26. Yes! Women are changing, esp the Indian women. Long gone the days when they were the typical Bharatiya naari type… but the bold and beautiful ones are born but who still holds the culture close to heart. 🙂

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  27. Great post Parul. Women are changing, as you say. And men are too. But we are still a looooog way away. Especially when we see men in power [read politicians] who are more heard by society at large stuck in the patriarchal rot.

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  29. This was a great summary of the change that is slow to come about, when you really look at it, but is inevitable. I wish I could make it go faster, but one step at a time. Enough of us need to speak up and not let this stuff happen, not let anyone get away with hurting anyone else.
    Change is a great C word and love your choice of topics for A to Z.
    Looking forward to the rest of the month and hope you don’t mind if I include a link to this post in an article I am writing about women’s rights?

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  30. It’s great to know that change has begun. But sometimes, I feel that in the name of women empowerment, a lot of unreasonable stuff is said. Consider the example of Deepika Padukone’s recent woman empowerment video.

    Equality should be there in every aspect of life. But seeing a lot many feminists out there just saying something for the sake of it makes me cringe.

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      1. Interestingly I saw that there was a lot many voices against those who actually didn’t quite like the video. But its not that they were anti-feminists or something.

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    1. Corinne that girl is from a small city and I admire her courage. She even married someone else in the same mandap! Isn’t that wonderful?
      My niche? Maybe we should talk so that I understand this better but I am loving this recognition from you 🙂

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  36. I have seen my days when my parents were searching a suitable match for me without asking my choice ( though i am v happy with their choice ) and now i can observe great change in me and my daughter . Things are continuously changing . Honestly speaking sometimes it is hard for me to digest but I do .

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  37. So glad to know that women in India are become more and more liberated! I was shocked to read about some of the things that still go on in your country. More power to you! 🙂

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