4 Women Talk About the Ideal World

“I’ll share a secret with you... I am not religious. Never have been! But that has never stopped me from bowing my head at any place of worship. I find it immensely fulfilling to surrender to the invisible power that exists, and to sync with the energy that numerous people believe in. It also, somehow, paralyses me from asking for anything. I just start mumbling a series of ‘Thank yous’. I can never be grateful enough for all that I have—it is so much more than I could have imagined. The reason I am telling you this is because we are all, at some level, haunted by the power of the unknown, especially in the current times. We have long believed that if we don’t reach the ‘finish line’, we will be done for in the larger scheme of things. Honestly, no-one had a clue about why or where we were running to. We just were. But here’s the thing: we all have wishes and dreams, and it is the hope of attainting them that keeps us going. I have a few, too. A few for this world to be a better place for women. Other than the most-pressing ones, like equality and empowerment, there are some that, in the race of life, we often overlook, or underestimate. But these are just as crucial as well... Slowing Down the Pace We don’t need to be everywhere, or be everything that others want us to be. Let’s live. Breathe. Experience each moment for what it is. And women, no, your body clock isn’t ticking. You don’t need to be married or have children at a certain age. We aren’t a to-do list. We are human beings, with choices. So let’s enjoy the journey of life as it is, and make our own choices along the way. More Kindness A few months ago, I felt a vacuum inside me when I heard about the sad demise of Sushant Singh Rajput and Chadwick Boseman. The deaths were unrelated, but they made me mull over the fragility and strength of the human mind. We never know the turmoil another person is going through. So, I wish for the world to never give up on being kind, to all. No More Mirrors On the Wall Enough of the comparisons! Enough of the campaigns around who is prettier, stronger, happier, more successful. The acceptance of ourselves—no matter who we are or what we look like—is important. It is what makes us, us. So screw the template for the perfect woman! In my opinion, perfect is boring, anyway. Let’s learn to celebrate each other, be gracious, and uplift others as well as ourselves. More (C)attitude I love the way cats command their way into love. It is how I’d like to 
see women, too. We must learn to 
be the centre of attention—no need to be conscious or wonder what anyone thinks of us. Let’s ask for love when we want it. (And also laze about, endlessly stare at birds in the sky, even be hairy and fluffy...all just like cats!) Check the Cheque Don’t look at me differently just because I have boobs and menstruate. I can still do all that a man can. Many men have assumed the world was constructed by their gender, over generations. Good on them. But women have supported them in the best ways. I am not here to topple the system, I am here to be a part of it—it was always ours, too. Let’s thrive and excel together. Please stop telling me things like, ‘You can’t even drive, how can you run a company?’. I choose to be who I am. And, I choose to ask you to check the cheque. Do the numbers dance with the balance?! In conclusion, I think the world doesn’t need to be half as complicated as we make it to be. Let’s simplify, love, and care.” “We aren’t a to-do list. We are humans beings, with choices. So let’s make them along the way.”

“In 2019, a Women, Peace and Security Index report ranked 167 countries in terms of Inclusion (women’s participation in economic, social, and political opportunities), Security (sense of safety, and exposure to violence), and Justice (experiences of formal and informal discrimination). India stood 133rd on this list, faring very low in women’s government-representation, employment opportunities, and access to education. So here’s my version of the ‘perfect’ world for women: Education As an Equaliser Women, especially in the rural belts and lower-income households, still face a great degree of inequality. Many aren’t sent to school. And many drop out, owing to multiple grassroot issues—like the lack of functional toilets. Not to Be Pigeonholed 
Into Certain Roles A change in the mindset, both societal and familial, is important. I look forward to a world where a woman can choose when, whom, and whether or not she wants to marry, the career she wants to pursue, and where she can set her own priorities. Where a woman is seen for who she is, and not typecast into roles women are expected to play by the society. Guilt-Free Self-Belief and Self-Reliance Women have been conditioned to believe that they are weak and need to be protected. They are often raised in an eco-system that promotes a lack of self-belief. Even today, many successful women with flourishing careers, even today, don’t have control over their finances. We need to break free from the complex layers of patriarchy and damaging perceptions, identify with our true selves, and be comfortable with what we want from life. I hope for a world where women can speak their minds fearlessly, have control on their finances, and play an equal role in decision-making. Women for Women We owe a lot to the women from previous generations, who stood up and raised their voices. Today, empowered women can elevate other women. A mother can make progressive choices for her daughter, women CEOs can mentor more women to be leaders, women entrepreneurs can help aspiring women become business owners. I hope for a world where the government builds infrastructure for women’s education, where women’s legal rights are safeguarded, and where corporations strive to support their female workforce.” “A change in mindset, both societal and familial, is important to raise women empowered with choices.”

“I’ve had the privilege to work on the ground, while still observing and informing the intersection of policy, profits, and people, at the highest level. The one reality that cuts across class, caste, and society is the story of women who are left behind in the journey of growth that our country has had. The most beautiful truth about the ‘perfect’ world of my imagination is that we still have a chance to create it, together. Nothing is impossible if half the world pushed for something, and the other half stood in solidarity. An Equal World, 
In Every Sense As you go deeper in the country, you see the reality of landless women farmers, shouldering 80 percent of the hard work but last in line when it comes to owing land, labour, or finance. Further down, one notices that women walk miles to fetch water for the household, managing their burden of unpaid care and work. Even in the cities, you often see women in business suits making frantic calls to keep a check on their home, or ensuring they are back in time for that family event, or seeing that everybody is attended to. This balancing act, and the emotional burden to do so, is probably the most-seen sight. An ideal world for me would be where women have an equal voice, choice, and agency. Where they enjoy equal space, both in the opportunities they’re offered, and in the cost of accessing them. An Unapologetic Existence
My mother has had a strong influence on me—her grit and courage planted the seed for a personal revolution in me. When I was a little girl, she’d come home from teaching at school, quickly stir up a meal, and ease into the evening that was usually punctuated with her tuition classes and preparing lessons for the next day, all the while ensuring the rest of the family was well taken care of, too. Most often, some free time meant a walk down to the corner park and a pit-stop at the store that sold kebabs. The little gully that led to the shop was abandoned and lonely. I’d often cling to my mum’s hand in fear, but, over time, I noticed that we never questioned why we loitered around. We loitered because it brought us joy, because it was our space, too. After a long while, I once muttered to her about the weird, scary silence that would walk alongside us. She immediately asked me, ‘Does this outing make you happy?’. I said yes. She smiled back, ‘Never be scared of doing something that makes you happy!’. That sentence has been the guiding light to my daydreams of a just, fair world—at work and at home—for everyone, but more so for those who hold up half the sky. 

To Be Asked and Heard 
I hope for a world that is free of fear...of being myself, choosing for myself, living for myself, of being accepted even if I did something that wasn’t what the world had set out for me. I often wonder: what if women were asked and heard as much as men—about what we wanted to wear, or wanted to do, or how we wanted to live. It would be a very different place...much different from a world where half its members are on mute, in some way or the other, mostly worry that their choices might upset someone!” n “I often wonder: what if women were asked and heard as much as others. It would be a very different world!”