Restrain

“But a woman is always hampered. At once inert and flexible, she has against her the weakness of flesh and legal dependence. Her will like the veil of her bonnnet, held by a string, flutters in every wind; there is always some desire that draws her, some conventionality that restrains.”

These words of Gustave Flaubert in his much controversial debut novel, ‘Madame Bovary’ published long back, in the mid 1800s hold true to this very moment.

Centuries have passed yet the truth behind the condition of women hasn’t changed much. Few of us women, have been harbingers of change in this world and have brought quantum leaps in the working of our society but a lot many are still struggling to live.

From the moment a woman enters this world, she has to fight each day to live the life she wants and dreams of. She has to prove to the people around her that she is worthy and capable of everything she aspires of. She isn’t a play doll or a puppet to be instructed and controlled every single time. Who wants to be in control and check each moment of the day; would the men like it? No. You don’t ask a man to be in check. He has the right and reason to make his decisions and go about it. It’s just the women’s maladroit steering of her life that she is restrained.

No matter what a woman achieves, she still has to fight with the plagues of the world we live in.

I don’t know what kind of mindset people of this society have and when it will change for good. Time and again women have proved that they are the true survivors. They are the ones who like the phoenix have risen from the ashes. They are the ones who, despite the subjugation they face and struggles they make, have set milestones for others.

I’m still waiting when women shall be free to exercise their will and independence. I’m still waiting for the day when women shall be treated with respect. I’m still waiting  for the day when women shall be considered humans, let alone equals! I’m still waiting for the day when women across the globe would feel secure enough. I’m still waiting for the day when gender bias would be uprooted once and for all.

Still waiting…