What Women Want

(Warning: Really Long Post ahead !)

I was reading a post by one of my favourite bloggers (who I admire for her courage and out-spoken attitude) where she mentioned a contest by BlogAdda called What Women Want.

There are several entries, some silly, some serious, and some downright stupid. This provoked me enough to writing my own post. The contest unfortunately is long over, so I cannot post my entry there. But I can definitely post it here :-)

Now, considering that needs and wants change based on age, culture, marital status etc., I will not pretend to make a generic list. So this is more like a list of what I want women to want.

So here goes:

1. I want to have the confidence to make my own decisions. It’s easy to rely on someone else, father, husband, brother, uncle or even sometimes your mother to make them for you.  Infact, most Indian women are encouraged to do just that. This could be a thing as small as a haircut to as big as a marriage. Thinking for yourself is hard, even harder is taking responsibility for yourself.
2. I want my education to be taken more seriously. Read, write, listen, and be curious of the world around you. Get your degrees, learn some valuable skillset, and be sincere about what you do. Do something which gives you a source of income.
3. I want to work. All women should, at least once in their life whether they need the money or not. Being part of a team, being responsible for the decisions you make, teaches you essential life skills. It teaches you patience, responsibility, maturity, and diplomacy.
4. I want to feel safe. Whether it’s going to a party late at night, or being alone at home, I want to feel I can be alright on my own.
5. I want to be financially independent. Whether you like it or not, money plays a big role in being secure.

It annoyed me a little bit to see how some entries went on and on about the “need to be loved” and how a woman only needs to be listened to and other such soppy stuff. What is this incredible need to glorify women, and claim that they are so very sensitive and caring and self-sacrificing? These are not gender-specific qualities! This in my mind, is what society wants women to want. 

Now before you brand me, let me say I am neither a feminist nor a tomboy. I am like every woman and no particular one. Probably most women think like me too. 

( Phew! This might be one of the longest posts (and the fiercest, perhaps) I have written on this blog.. )