Illustration: Venla Valve

              
Esha Chanda,

              
Columnist (Our World)

              
 

              
How would you describe an ideal woman? Someone who is gorgeous, tall and slim or someone who although doesn’t have a size zero figure but is poised, charming and socially aware? If you vouch for the former, then you are probably one among many who have an archetypal version of women in the society.

              
Let’s get this out on the table first. This article doesn’t scream feminism simply because a woman has written it. But we are pretty sure that it was the first thought that swiftly floated in your head after your eyes and mind grasped the title. Before you roll your eyes in dismay, stop and read this – we are not a bunch of people who are here to promote feminism but we believe in voicing our opinions.

              
Glance around you. The society has gender stereotypes running in its veins. Pink is for girls, blue is boys? We have given feminism a definite meaning; a meaning that strays far away from what it truly is. Size zero, perfect hair, bright blue eyes; this seems to be the aim for most young girls. On one hand we have top celebrities slimming down after pregnancy, adding dollops of makeup to stay pretty, getting under a knife just to get that perfect nose. And on the other hand, we have the working woman who toils daily, balances her work and her house, plays the role of a mother, a wife and of an employee. While she manages to juggle ten things, she has no spare time to pay attention to her hairdo. Does that in any way demean her feminism? Is she any less feminine just because she ignores her hairstyle for a day?

              
Our society has perceived women as Barbie dolls. They wish every woman to walk past them to be tall, slim and blessed with the right assets. So is the short-stout woman a disgrace to the society? The irony of the situation is that we have created such stereotypes and are responsible in every possible way for the dogma that pertains the society.

              
Here’s an example of a recent discussion that revolves around the same topic. High street shop-stop Barneys plan to drastically alter the look of Minnie Mouse. So now, we might see a 5’11, size zero Minnie Mouse because Barneys thought it was better to make our beloved Disney character more socially acceptable. It’s plain ridiculous. The thought is sheer disgusting. While there is nothing wrong with being tall and thin, there is nothing wrong in being plump as well. Do these guys realise the impact it would have on young tender minds? You are not just altering a fictional character; you are shaping the minds of kids to believe that being thin is acceptable by the society. You are incepting a false thought in their minds and forcing them to judge others.

              
Statistics have been reported that there is a large chunk of women who are afraid of being plump; the reason being that our society looks at them with raised eyebrows, call them names, snub them because they think that fat women don’t deserve attention. You are humiliated, you are judged and you are not treated with respect simply because you are a bit chubby. Even writing the statement seems absurd. You are plainly being unreasonable and callous. But when the same woman reduces her weight and turns slim, our society swiftly accepts her with open arms. So much for gender equality in the world.

              
There are young girls who are anorexic and parents have been complaining about their daughters’ ill health because no one wants to be fat. Celebrities are asked to remain prim and proper every time they step out of the house. And while most of them comply with such demands, further adding to the already existing stereotypes, there are handfuls that won’t agree. The recent case with Christina Aguilera proves the same. She has been asked to shed kilos weight because her advisors think a slightly plumper version of her won’t look good on the screen and fans would not appreciate it. Do you care about her voice or how she looks? Do you mean to say that fat people don’t have stage presence?

              
Don’t alter yourself; alter your views. Change your thinking and appreciate people’s talent, applaud them for who they are and not for how they appear. If not for yourself, do it for the generations to come because such stereotypes do not deserve a place in the society’s mind.