One of the Articles Written by my Batchmate -Siddhart
http://www.facebook.com/Siddharth.Fofo.Janarthanan



If I am to talk about women based on the experience with my mother, I would have to say they are extraordinarily (sometimes irritatingly) stubborn, supremely far-sighted, thankfully atheistic and with an amusingly messy room. But my mother does not represent the world of women. She is just one oddly wondrous piece among millions of other equally amazing ones. And that is how everybody feels about their mother. Whatever said and done, as long as mothers exist in this world, women will never lose their place in the hearts of all, irrespective of gender. Does that mean this writer thinks motherhood to be the sole attribute and purpose of womanhood? Of course not. I have just said motherhood is one attribute of women that no one cannot think of; a forte no man can ever take up for himself.
History is full of examples of outstanding women across all known human fields. Science, politics, arts, sports, religion, administration, education have all had the privilege of having been shaped and nourished by hundreds of astoundingly inspiring and courageous women. My own personal favourite is Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen of England who revolutionised the English way of life against many odds and established the country’s Golden Age. A highly passionate and resolute monarch with brilliant administrative capabilities, she reached the heights that none of her predecessors nor successors (male or female) matched up to.
It is well known that women have had a tumultuous standing in society. It is believed that in the ancient civilisations, men and women were considered socially equal, but somewhere in the middle, things changed. And not for the good. Women faced repurcussions just about everywhere; inside the house, at the work places, in the arts etc. The feminist movement then came into being, to bring about gender equality. Its been a long process and its still ongoing, and thankfully things are changing. While true gender equality will be achieved only with a fundamental shift in the society’s perception of women, policies are being made in the right direction.
Sadly, in the developing Asian countries, I feel women, more often than not, are their own biggest obstacles to overcome in order to achieve liberation. Many a time, I have seen families where the girl’s own mother, aunts and grandmothers end up being the most prominent dream-snuffers and oppressors. One would think that these women will be the beacons of hope who will provide the support they never got, to the girls, but unfortunately that’s not the case.
So what do I think of women? Well, they come in all shapes and sizes and shades alright. Pretty things with an astounding depth of heart (men do too, but they aint that pretty if I may say so). They are the only species on the planet who physically torture themselves to look good; and have such hope and tenacity they put me to shame. The one thing that I will not say about them is that, “they complete men” or, they are “the perfect balance for men” etc. I find the idea of attributing their very existence and purpose to support men or complete them highly offensive. And well, also because, men are quite complete themselves :D