To the woman.

Women. An altogether different species of the human kind. Through centuries, women have played a integral part in every person's life. Biologically, there exist only two genders. The binaries- Male & Female. Speaking of the Indian Civilization, you often find them to be quite distinguished. We live in a patriarchal society. The man rules the house. Men have been considered elite. That's where their "masculinity" comes from. Society is biased towards men. They get more opportunities, more rewards for even the slightest effort and most importantly, more freedom. 

A woman is of lesser importance in such a societal arrangement. They're associated with sensitivity, and expected to be "lady like" - a phrase used to denote the rules a woman must abide by. A woman stepping up? God forbid! Even her opinions aren't given a thought. Her clothes, external appearance, manners, and coyness decides her future. Marriage is the main goal of a woman. She must get married. Eventually bear children. The man meanwhile can do whatever he wishes in life. Live a life that he wants to live. And for once, if she dreams of the freedom, her voice for equality is considered a sin. Such a difference for a mere 's' in the he and the "wo" in the men. 

These are the walls of society put around a typical woman. A man is always under pressure to embody an unrealisticly strong person without embracing any feminity or sensitivity. However, the fact reamins that the world views women as the sensitive, weak and coy type.

Over the years, women have thrived in such conditions. They actually stepped up and marched along the path that they felt was equal, just, and right. That is why, women are an inspiration to all. But why shall we seek inspiration from women like Indira Nooyi or J.K. Rowling. All we need to do, is open our eyes, and realise that women have always been the "strongest". 

Here are some things I've learnt from the women of my lives:

A) Mother: Mothers have to be on top of the list, for they carried you for nine months and brought you up. It takes immense effort to bring up a child. Especially when you're the naughty kind. 

My mother has taught me the art of communication, a lesson out of the several, I cherish the most. This is no specific lady trait, however it's one of the most important in today's world. The most powerful person is a orator. A speaker. It makes one memorable and influential. That's where our ___ blog came from! 

B) Grandmothers: I think we can all agree that grandmothers are gods angels who walk on the planet. I believe, this is an outcome of the abundance of maternal love they have! There's lot to learn from the elderly clan as they have gone about life and experienced situations that you might not have imagined. Such experiences result into profound wisdom. One which is not available in books, a lesson learnt from living through several ordeals, and then both surviving and coming out stronger. 

Grandmothers have been the heads of my family, particularly. My parents were brought up under the influence of their mothers and grandmothers. Despite the fact that these women had negligible opportunities, their leadership skills never allowed them to bow down. Their authority is respected to this day. They deserved equal respect because they handled the job of taking care of huge joint families. Commendable! 

Aunts: The second mothers, as they're popularly known as. Mine are especially talented (not me being bias). Wheather it is a math problem or a the aspirations of college, my aunty's never seem to fail me. They're mostly role models. Their success in balancing their careers and excelling at parenthood is truly appreciable. From PhD holders to loving mothers, they form my image of a ideal woman. Not to mention, all of them are fashionistas and make for great chit-chaters. I think it is a generation thing. Shifting from living in the stereotypes to actually living a life that is equal to men. 

Teachers: Jobs are also victims of stereotypes. Teaching is considered a femine job. That is why indian schools have a strong female workforce. I'm not complaining, though such a situation must not result into men avoiding a creative and impactful position, just because well they're the Indian dudes - "Mard". 

Every teacher is a truly experienced one. A mother handles a child, but a teacher handles children. They have this insane ability to understand every child. A teacher doesn't judge.  She is especially wonderful because she balances between teaching and caring. She knows when to be strict and when to loosen up. She is indeed a superhero.

Sisters, friends, aquantances: Female friends are truly a gem. I've been blessed to have a baby brother, and he indeed is very close to me. Though I cannot compare the importance of my girl friends in my life. It is a unknown connect altogether. Any human is general opens up to women. I've no idea why. I think they posses this skill of positivity. They must be having these pockets of wisdom that they carry all around. You could connect this to their motherly nature, that is instilled in them. Could be the fact that women have to hustle a little harder to reach a goal. Wider range of problems, narrow opportunities.

Every woman is truly inspiring. The balance, joy, motivation, love an strength they carry is one of a kind. Inspite of such qualities, women are considered the weaker gender. This is not a government propaganda. We have ourselves to blame. If we continue praising men and oppressing women and take away their rights, we're leading a terrible form of life in a horrible society. 

This piece is not to deem men as mediocre. They are equal important to the Society. They're efforts cannot be ignored. What we hope to do is uplift the women, celebrate them. Enough of the ages filled with every woman's strivings. With joy, I must add that I see a difference in the world. It may be a slight difference, though I appreciate it. I have started to see textbooks filled with "she-s" instead of "he-s". Soon, with accepting women as they are, and not putting them into boxes, we can make a comfortable environment for all genders. Only a step, only a word. After all, we're a the humankind, not the the mankind.