It is 18 months since the deadly, highly contagious
killer–“Corona Virus” wrecked our world. We are at a war to survive. The
weapons we have are a few- Soap. Sanitizers and Masks. It’s hilarious you would
say. How can you fight a battle with these? I’d rather not get technical- we
know the rules. Each individual on this planet is fighting this war. Apart from
some lucky ones currently taking dips in the holy Ganges at the Kumbh Mela,
Rajasthan. I do so envy those idiots!
Like
in any other war that has been fought over the centuries: here too women and
children are the worst affected. Kids have been confined within their homes and
apartment blocks with little or no physical school. Enjoying themselves with a
complete or almost 50% abandonment of studies. Online classes are a casualty of
this pandemic. The teacher appears on the computer screen – kids give
attendance and then boom! Either the video disappears or the child runs to the
bathroom to do the big job! For underprivileged children, Covid 19 has very
sadly taken them away from education and forced them towards child labor.
Women
all over the world are the toughest warriors of this battle. Working Women who
usually struggle to manage work and family are now being grilled! We have ‘Work
from Home’- the answer to all our misery. Do the housework, do the office
work, help the kids with homework, help the husband with his work- all from
Home. The entire day the woman is at “Work”- from Home.
“Stay
Home Stay Safe” has elevated the status of The Homemaker woman to new heights.
She is the one who makes your home the haven that it’s become. The poor lady
would wind up all her work and get a few hours to herself while the husband was
away and kids at school. Now she must organize the home space in such a way
that the husband must not be disturbed- “he’s busy”. The kids cannot be
disturbed- the teacher can see it all. So she must cook before the office
starts. The cooker whistle cannot screech as the boss can hear it! She must
feed the kids at super speed in between class breaks as the rule is- “no
munching before the computer screen.”
Apart
from these, we women have taken up challenging new roles like-
“The
Heater”-
She provides hot water and kadha to family members at regular intervals during
the day to ensure the virus stays away,
“The
Nurse”- She
wears a mask and keeps the affected family member in isolation. She must ensure
his/her food is provided to them in their room, the laundry washed separately
and their surroundings disinfected.
“The
Teacher”-
She helps her children follow what the remote teacher is saying in the online
class and makes them complete and submit school activities online.
“The
Counsellor”-
She helps family, friends, and colleagues cope with depression, loss of social
contact, and other emotional outcomes of the pandemic.
The
Hairdresser- Salons
being the first things to close women quickly mastered the art of cutting hair
for their husbands and kids.
These
are just a few of the innumerable ways by which women are fighting this battle.
In all this, the demands on a Woman’s
physical, mental, and emotional being have been huge. Many women are caught in
this unending cycle of giving. The amount that women are giving to the world
today is far more than can be accounted for. Psychologically too, we are spent.
In so many families infected with this
deadly virus, it is the women who have had the most severe symptoms. Numerous
cases where women have been hospitalized for weeks as the virus wrecked their
organs. Why? Because she was so busy giving vitamins and hot water to her
family that she didn’t realize when her glass turned cold. Exhausted at night,
she would forget to inhale steam herself after giving all her family their
daily inhaling sessions. To those who’ve abused their women for generations-
Wake Up! She is the backbone of your world. Help her while she helps you. To
the young, I say hold your mom/grandmom and make her sit down for her meal.
Remind her to take her vitamins. Let her shout out her frustration. Just listen
to her. She is the warrior who can win this war. Women can help each other by
sharing their experiences- trust me it works wonders to just know that you are
not alone.
Mankind
must win this battle and it cannot do it without acknowledging the other half
-Womankind. A new word? Perhaps, but it’s time has come.
