Male Classical Dancer, Female CEO, Male Nanny, Lady Constable – Yes, they all exist!
Not something we hear regularly, instead something we choose to ignore or laugh away. The subtle gender stereotyping our culture has ingrained in our minds and society’s layers over the years is shocking. By labelling her a 'Woman CEO', one isn't breaking a stereotype, in fact, accepting and pandering to it. Women don't seek to 'equal' men anymore - because that lacks ambition. Instead, they're just doing what they're good at. While we hope that society’s mind-set will change gradually, we still live in a world dominated by men. It’s time to take the bull by its horns this year and Culture Machine’s digital channel Blush has done exactly that with their latest video.
Titled ‘Kaam Se Matlab Rakh’, this video brings forth the stereotypes of language that we are helplessly trapped in, our glossary of words which only mirror our limited minds. From “MALE Nanny” and “LADY Driver” to “WOMAN Cinematographer” and “MALE Classical Dancer”, we have subtly assigned genders to occupations. Who coined the term ‘lady driver’? Or ‘Male nanny’? Why does it labour with a gender-defining prefix? Why does it need a prefix, at all? This video aims to destroy these language traps that we are bound in and celebrate the equality of women in its true sense. With a celebrated name like Shibani Dandekar featuring in the video, they voice the opinions of millions of women in our country who have been victim to gender and language stereotyping.
Blush released a statement – “Before we raise our flags and declare war against a gender discriminating status quo, before we hurl isms and march for the good fight, before we attempt the herculean task of 'changing the world' of the modern Indian working woman, we should start small, and simple. We must first realise, that a talent, a skill, a hobby, a passion or a profession, has nothing to do with gender. That no profession has a pre-defined gender association. We hope this video spark off some thought-provoking conversations and eventually move towards a more equal society. ”
Real change, is a slow, consistent, and never-ending process. And it truly begins at home. Here, the word 'home', having the meaning of 'speech'. Let's come together and work towards encouraging each one to pursue the career they want, because professions have no gender at all.
Watch the video on - https://www.youtube.com/
About Culture Machine:
Founded in 2013 by Sameer Pitalwalla and Venkat Prasad, Culture Machine Media Pvt. Ltd. is a digital media company that creates entertainment for the Internet generation by combining cutting-edge technology with great content. Culture Machine, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Aleph Group, Singapore, has offices and studio facilities in India (Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai) and the United States of America (California).