Women’s Day Special: Author Shilpa Pitroda shares her thoughts
Shilpa Pitroda is a poet, writer, and author of the novel ” An Optonal Love and Grievances of Life”. She has spent the last decade reading and writing romance novels giving her characters palpable spark. She has also built an online platform “FADES” for spreading awareness about the people suffering from depression and provide them counselling too, that too with no charges. Shilpa lives and works out of her home at Noamundi, Jharkhand. She can usually be found reading a book, and that book will more likely to be a psychological thriller. She contributes articles on raising awareness on social issue’s in local newspapers. Her shayari’s with a tag – #kalpanicthougts are loved by people on social media’s.
Apart from this, she is a person with good heart who loves to live a simple life with her people around. She enjoys cooking for them too. If you are looking for someone to talk your heart out, she is a great listener one can share with.
1. What are the most important challenges that women face today?
Answer- India is a country where women are given the status of a goddess. However, the problems they have to face just show the opposite of this concept.
Firstly, violence against women is a very grave issue faced by women in India. It is happening almost every day in various forms. People turn a blind eye to it instead of doing something.Next up, we also have the issues of gender discrimination. Women are not considered equal to men. They face discrimination in almost every place, whether at the workplace or at home. Even the little girls become a victim of this discrimination. The patriarchy dictates a woman’s life unjustly. Moreover, there is also a lack of female education and the gender pay gap. Women in rural areas are still denied education for being a female. Similarly, women do not get equal pay as men for doing the same work. On top of that, they also face workplace harassment and exploitation
2. What needs to be changed in the next 5 years?
Answer- In society for the betterment of woman, I think, the basic key (almost in all the situation) for improvement of the women will always be education of women as well as their families. Moreover by teaching the boys of every school to how to respect a girl, woman, lady equally. Government should also make strict rules for rapist, acid attackers, domestic violence guilty and such more- the one’s who don’t respect the women.
We might not get the results over night but surely we can change the trend. Women too need to be admanent when it comes to their right, safety education and so on and so forth. I would like to believe that we get to see a society where women’s are treated with equal respect in near future.
3. What is your greatest strength?
Answer- I believe that one of the greatest strengths of women are their ability to adapt; allowing them to be both vulnerable and nurturing and strong and independent. As a women I am bless with these qualities all ready. With it, I love to write and have a great zeal to learn new things. These two skills make the greatest strength for me that rewards me in my profession. Although I have an expertise in technical writing, I also have a hand on writing for a wide range of topics. Therefore, I believe that writing for different audiences is my core strength. People also say they see me as a dependable and reliable person. I feel obliged to help others and have helped many people in previou in their key projects or situation where they needed my expertise. I consider this as my strength also.
4. Women Empowerment: how pertinent the idea is?
Answer- It’s a fact that empowered women can cause healthy changes in society by discharging different responsibilities in different roles. No society can achieve sustainable progress with a minimal or negligible role of women. If one delves with gge wide and deep angles of the roles and responsibilities a necessity of fine tuning them would certainly pop up. For instance, no daughter is born with required manners to behave well with her parents, no women become a wife with full of knowledge and understanding of how to live with her husband, kids and laws. So regardless of her roles, she needs comprehensive training to excel.
By empowerment of women we mean the moral education, intellectual and cultural development by virtue of which a woman not only understands her status and the spirit of her roles but also know how to discharge the response in different circumstances. The success of the process of empowerment depends on mutual cooperation. Both within and outside the four walls. The society should feel it’s importance and facilitate with all possible modes to ensure a smooth and productive process of all around development. The crux of the spirit of women empowerment is to help her understand the roles and discharge the responsibilities to the perfection.
5. Rape cases are on a rise in India despite rampant protestations. Who is to be blamed according to you?
Answer- The only things that lead to rape are wrong mentality, lack of control and insensitivity of the rapist. A victim of rape is often shun by the society and blamed for the act. Faced with this stigmatization, victims are often scared to speak out. In cases that end up in courts, the victim is equally subjected to so much scrutiny and is not given the necessary protection. All these have made victims of rape to be silent about their experiences and the act continues with impunity. Society should treat victims of rape as VICTIMS not as the perpetrators. They should be given the necessary protection. Offenders should be punished accordingly. People should be educated on these issues. They need to stop pointing fingers at the victims. Even the law should be little quick in decision making and we need more and more people in force like VC Sajjanar and his team. Sometimes it’s better to take in hand than to wait for year’s like in nirbhaya case.
6. On the recent #metoo movement, your opinion?
Answer- Thankfully the #MeToo movement is slowly and finally, having it’s moment of reckoning in India. First, for all the brave women that are coming out and telling their stories, kudos to them. I am moved by the courage that they show. Especially in a society like ours where the problem is a epidemic and deeply entrenched, I know how daunting it should be to come out and just talk about it. You are trailblazer and keep the good fight going. Hopefully, this awareness will bring some light to the darkness. The darkness where this shady crimes have been going on for far too long.
Lastly for the ones belittling, making memes and questioning why the women are all coming out of sudden now, I don’t know whether to envy or pity them. Obviously one doesn’t understand how trauma /harassment of any kind works. It’s a dark complicated icky feeling buried deep inside you. Let us be happy that the truth has finally bubbled to the surface. Sure we need due diligence, not blaming innocent people and all that stuff. When the experiences are real, the voice matter, and the stories do have value.
Whether I believe every accusations or not, whether I react to every story or not, I firmly support the #MeToo Movement and stand by the Women, irrespective of whether I know them or not.
7. Peaceful single parenting v/s dysfunctional couple parenting?
Anwer- A family is the single most important influence in a child’s life. It provides security, identity, and values to its members, regardless of their age. An individual learns about his sense of self and gains a foundation for the rest of his life. This foundation includes the family’s values which provide the basis for his own moral code. Therefore, the parenting style that parents adopt while raising children can have a huge impact on their development and growth.
In a normal functional family, there is mutual respect between family members and everyone has each other’s back. For dysfunctional families, there is always tension and mistrust amongst the parents and children. Also, the authority of the parents in the family is often misguided. Even amongst adults, there is a certain level of mistrust and resentment. The members do not create a safe surrounding for a child to grow. Also, dysfunctional families do not value apology and do not allow for emotions to be expressed reasonably.
8. Your take on the recent film, “Thappad”, that is meant to be a slap on chauvinism.
Answer– Thappad bears its message, more essential than ever, on its chin: Women are not property. Wives are not owned. Dreams have no gender, and everyone is allowed to realise them. And how all it takes, from a woman who just wants self-respect, is a decision to say no, Not Even One Slap.
Thappad though isn’t a film that is cut from the same fabric of #AllMenTrash. Despite being alive to systems of oppression, it is gentle. It’s a film about muted grievances, yet it’s not angry. Not loud, yet holds its ground – and more importantly, doesn’t give anyone an easy pass or lowers the standards of acceptable behaviour.
Overall, Thappad is a gem of a film that is a silent slap to our society and the ‘yeh sab chalta hai‘, ‘bardasht karo‘ mentality. You will be inspired if not challenged to bring about a positive change.
9.What advice would you give to young women of today?
Answer-Darling,Be humble and bold. We need to be fiercely and bravely humble in recognition of our humanity and character, giving ourselves the grace to be who we truly are.
And then be bold, to do whatever God tells you. Don’t shrink back, be courageous, strong and take new ground. Be unashamed of what you believe in and what you stand for. Your thoughts and opinions are valued and needed. Remember, behind every successful woman is Herself.
Happy Women’s day to all of us!