The Superwoman is the modern “Damsel in Distress”
- Apeksha Sharma
DSP (HQ),
Deptt of Prisons and Correctional Services,
Punjab
Women in the 21st century are always expected to be on the top of their game- be it at home or at work. The working mother is expected to raise her children in the most non-negotiable manner. A stay at home mom is expected to find a suitable and lucrative job so that she can contribute equally when it comes to the financial expenses of running a home. Not much choice is given. No mistakes are unconditionally forgiven; and this is not just limited to the Indian society. Creating ‘superwoman’ in the name of women empowerment is something that global society is unfortunately cruising towards.
The so-called ‘superwoman’ is a distressed human being who is constantly tired juggling work with her household needs and her beckoning children. She is the one with the crow’s feet and dark circles. She is the one who is managing time at her fingertips and doesn’t have a minute to herself. She is the one who might snap at her children and still be considered wrong to lose her patience despite the humungous burden of responsibilities. She is the one who despite being independent and managing everything all alone, cries for help silently, without being heard I must add.
This ‘superwoman’ is a result of numerous societal expectations and umpteen family pressures. She is not a healthy part of the society. She is a cry for help. Boasting to be a ‘superwoman’ simply means that the woman’s support system is faulty. The silver lining is that it is just faulty, not beyond repair.
A mother’s success (both at her job and at her home) is highly correlated with her support system. The support system not just includes her husband, in-laws/parents but also her boss, colleagues, the extended family and overall society.
A progressive society is not the one full of superwomen but the one full of happy women who are given the power to making decisions without the cloud of judgment hovering over their heads!
May we be those women. May we raise our daughters to be those women. May we raise our sons to empower women in the way they are meant to be empowered.