Exclusive! Sona Mohapatra: Women’s Day is time to address domestic violence and male privilege

It's International Women's Day today and singer Sona Mohapatra who also speaks up about various causes, has a view to share. She says, “There is just no other way to say it but straight up; this pandemic has been disproportionately cruel to women and girls, reversing decades of progress and creating even more imbalance in the precarious power structures and inequality across the globe. As per a study I read, 40 % of all employed women work in retail, hospitality, entertainment etc and these are the hardest hit sectors.It has left women without the financial independence and therefore freedom to take our own decisions. A basic right that took us so many centuries to win. This apart from the disruption to education for girls which in itself was a hard and long won battle and gender ratios continue to dip with girls being killed in the womb. Domestic violence has had its field day in these times of work at home, too and these embarrassing statistics are there to be seen in reported numbers across the globe even in developed nations like France and the UK, so I shudder to think of the situation in India where life has been in large parts tougher and more frustrating for both men and women with the former having a tendency to use their male privilege and venting it out on women. Therefore, here is no better time to be championing female role models and celebrating their achievements to empower the coming generations because these setbacks will need a concerted effort from men, women, families and communities as hardly one in 10 governments across the world have any measures in place to do so. Having said that, I do believe that we have inspiring female leaders in every field and they have been stepping up their game, front foot forward in more ways than one.
‘India has inspiring female leaders in every field, Mary Kom and the Phogat sisters to Priyanka Chopra...’
The singer shares a list of luminaries in various fields in this regard. She says, “In politics - Angela Markel, Jacinda Ardem or closer home Nirmala Sitharaman and Smriti Irani, corporators like Ashwini Bhide. Sports persons like Hima Das, Dutee Chand, Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal, Deepa Karmakar, the Phogat sisters & so many more apart from Phoebe Dal, India’s first Formula 4 racing driver. The fields of entertainment too have many trailblazing, talented and vocal women who are claiming their place under the sun not only as pretty faces, but producers and decision makers; Guneet Monga, Juhi Chaturvedi, Priyanka Chopra, Anushka Sharma and even myself amongst many others. Women entrepreneurs who inspire me are Indra Nooyi, Falguni Nayar, Aditi Gupta, Vandana Luthra amongst many more who are leading start-ups.”
‘Remember that in a bid to be feminist, do not punish the good men of the world’
She adds, “My advice to young girls is to tell them this in the words of my song – ‘Babul Pyare Sajan Sakhare, Sun O meri Maiya, Bojh nahin main kisi ke sar ka, na manjdhar main naiya. Patvaar Banungi, Lehron se ladungi, Arrey Mujhey Kya bechega rupaiya!’ Dream bigger and do back each other as a sisterhood. Our opportunities might be fewer now, but that ought not to make us rivals of each other, let’s learn the best practices from everywhere including the ease with which men form networks that help each other succeed. Watch each other’s back. On a lighter note, it is critical to remember that in a bid to be feminist, do not punish the good men of the world, there are many of them who walk side by side fighting the good fight!”