Domination. Boys Rule. NOT.

It was a college day when all of us were mass bunking (as usual) and I suddenly overheard how a group of people had gone to play football. On mentioning that we would like to join in later, we were....discouraged?

Basically, according to them, we wouldn’t like to play football, and people will make too many fouls we wouldn't be able to handle. What they said was pretty unexpected. Why this stereotype all over again? Why bring out this old age mentality after you are supposed to have got over it? What the hell do you mean by saying that we cannot handle it. A girl can take a blow as gracefully as a boy can. Yes, you people might be stronger but strength isn't exactly in our hands. The almighty creator defaulted that, not us.

The general opinion that a boy has to earn and therefore must try for a more stable job brings out the feminist side in me as well. "This is the reason behind more boys taking up engineering or science instead of arts," one of my other friends told me. The logic sucks, but I'm afraid it seems to be true. Today, there are around 12 boys and nearly hundred girls in Aditi’s college (who has taken up arts) and 10 girls and 50 boys in mine.

It's funny how this stereotype came out. I wonder when men started dominating women. I repeatedly question myself why women (in a way) surrendered. A queen would generally never get the same respect that a king gets (At least in India). Teachers scare students by warning them and telling them they would call his father. Women never, never get the recognition they deserve. Even the name in between your name and surname is your father's. Women move in to their husband's house (unless they decide to stay separately) and usually take his surname as well. I'm not saying that anything is wrong in this, I'm simply asking, why women? If a girl and a guy are together, the girl is framed as a slut, the boy is most often crowned as a 'playboy'. It's just stupid. Plainly preposterous.

Take a look everywhere in general. In my college confession page, there is enough hate to last a lifetime. (Well, I’m obviously exaggerating a bit, but you get the point!) The sad part is that most of the hate is targeted towards the girls. Everything, from backing off from their boy – at least tell them who your boy is :P – to ‘stop walking’. Who even says that? People are shocked if they ever hear of a girl who plays video games, in awe if they learn of a girl who works out regularly.

On the other hand, the military hardly recruits girls for field work at all. According to a retired soldier I once had the privilege of talking to, one in a million girls have natural reflexes. Most girls aren’t natural about the things they do. But he also says that though they may not be in the real thing, they could always help ‘backstage’. If women were allowed to do so, half of our defense could be controlled by women itself!

On my school tour, the boys were asked to help transfer the luggage on the top of the bus. I’m not complaining, but again, why? Heck, once when we had made a chain, not only did the work get over more swiftly but everyone could put in lesser effort as well! To top that, our hands didn’t even break. (Note the sarcasm.)

In this patriarchal society, I don't have any idea when and how the way people will change their thinking. I can only hope it happens gradually.

Kanksha :)

PS: Maybe what I’ve written sounds a bit aggressive…? My writing tends to reflect my mood. I guess writing is a way I channel my feelings and emotions and put them on paper. Oh, I’m also not saying everyone thinks like this.