On International Women’s Day, Divyanka Tripathi, who plays the strong character of Ishita in Yeh Hai Mohabbatein, talks about what needs to be done to empower women. She says, “First of all, women should not restrict themselves to be nurturers. We can cook and take care of the family, but every woman should believe she is capable of surviving independently. Women should not stop working or learning new things after marriage. She should make it clear to her husband that she will pursue her career. Also, a man should know he is not hiring a maid. A man and woman are equal in a parnership. They have to operate hand-in-hand. She has all the right to pursue her dream, profession and explore new opportunities. In fact, even the in-laws need to treat their bahu as their daughter and support her.”
She reckons that most parents suppress their daughters. “They force their daughters to be quiet in the face of adversities, which is wrong. In such a situation the girl either succumbs or fights, but lacks in confidence.” She urges parents to change their attitude towards a girl child. “Agar beta sab kar sakta hai, toh beti bhi kar sakti hai. In fact, girls are multi-taskers. I am proud to be a woman. We have so many qualities, but we don’t get an opportunity to harness them,” she says.
Ask her if portrayal of women is changing on TV and she says they are. “Most women are shown to be career-oriented now.” Is there a pay disparity based on gender as it is in films? “TV is a woman’s medium, and if there is a disparity, it is because of ignorance. I know what I deserve, what I am capable of, so I demand it. However, it is also true that when women fight for their rights they are dubbed as tantrum queens. But if men do it, it is accepted easily. You don’t hear of tantrum kings!”
Recently, TV actresses like Nia Sharma and Rubina Daliak got slut-shamed for posting vidoes and pictures flaunting their hot bods. However, Divyanka feels that women should be allowed to wear what they want. “Do we say men should not wear shorts or bermudas? Hamare andar bhi thoughts aa sakte hain. Of course, men will be happy about it, but the point is that it is not an excuse. If a piece of gold is in front of me that belongs to somebody else, and I steal it, who is at fault? The one who has kept it or the one who has stolen it? The law is clear. The same thing applies here.”
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 "Divyanka Tripathi")
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