We are women, hear us roar

View
Classifieds

Place
Classifieds

Newsletter

Tel : 604-821-1954

Wed, March 12 2008

By Subhash K. Jha

Bollywood’s leading ladies say they have never felt inferior to men and believe opportunities are increasing for women in India and globally. Here is what some of them had to say on International Women’s Day:

Bipasha Basu:

Bipasha Basu

In the past few decades, women in India have found their own place. Unlike in other parts of the world, we have never tried to compete with men.
We have found our own place by using our own strengths and capabilities. This makes the new Indian woman a lot different, and I believe, a lot stronger. You know they say a woman who wants to be equal to a man lacks ambition.

The new Indian woman cuts across all age groups and class structures. We adapt better to circumstances because we are not playing by the rules of others. We are resilient and are able to bounce back from every eventuality.

I know women who go to work, take care of house and home, and be mothers without breaking a step. I don’t know many men who can do that. Somehow we never exhaust ourselves as much in the workplace as men do.

I admire my mother, because I see a lot of the qualities of the modern Indian woman in her. Or perhaps, it’s the other way around. Her energy and poise are admirable.
And that is the strength of women worldwide: to excel in the world without losing their femininity. On International Women’s Day, I would like to congratulate women everywhere for the love and care that we bring to the world.

Hema Malini:

Hema Malini

I’m proud to be a woman and an Indian. With the status that I’ve achieved I’ve no problem getting what I want. But I know it isn’t so with a lot of women in our country. I empathize with their suffering and I do want to work towards improving their lot. That’s one of the reasons I joined politics.

Shilpa Shetty:

Shilpa Shetty

As a woman I’ve nothing to complain about. Today when I go abroad I’m proud to represent my film fraternity, my gender and my country. I guess I’ve been singularly lucky. I realize there’re so many women in our country who are struggling to earn a living. But I think things are changing very fast.

Koena Mitra:

Koena Mitra

I could realize my dreams because of the opportunities I got. There are states in our country that have yet to treat women on par with men. I’m hopeful this scenario will change soon. But for me the country is a hotbed of opportunities. I come from Kolkata and now I belong to Mumbai. Both cities have helped me become who I am. So yes, I’m proud to be an Indian woman.

Ekta Kapoor:

Ekta Kapoor

Being a woman is no disadvantage. Though I won’t say it’s an advantage either in today’s India — at least not in the corporate world. Yet lots of women in rural India are made to believe they’re disadvantaged by their gender. Yes gender bias is waning. I think our inherent advantage as women is that we’re stronger than men although we’re more sensitive.

Tell us what you think

Reader comments are edited for clarity and may be selected to appear in the print version of the Asian Pacific Post.