Thursday, April 4, 2013

Women's Memorial, Museum and Learning Centre

The last semester in college is everything but fun. I could manage research for a while when I was enthusiastic about it but the mindset of people, the way they look at you when you describe the intent of a women's memorial. I remember this last jury when I had to present my idea and I was quite unsure of my design and no one was interested in my ideas or concepts. Everyone wanted to know why a 'Women's Memorial'? I am not a feminist. Frankly I don't even understand feminism completely or why being a feminist is considered to be so negative.

I took up this topic because i\I was moved by a particular incidence of rape against a woman in Delhi in december 2012 which occured while I was searching for my thesis topic, but more than that its a daily affair which occurs in many lives leaving a deep impact on our minds.

We all seek for that one thing in life which makes us different from others. When the gangrape incident happened I felt a change in myself. A feeling of constant unrest which would not go. Though I am not related to it in any way but I could still not sleep properly for many days. Everytime I looked at myself in the mirror I felt scared, I felt very unsafe, to the extent that it haunted me in my dreams. It is because of this fear that I decided to do a project as such. It intrigued me too much to bring about a change that I took it up as one of the most important projects of my college life.

People think the topic is amazing because I am trying to do 'something' for women. But it is much more for me. It is an act to make all those who are not respected, feel empowered. Those who are dismissed because they look 'weak' when compared to men. A woman is often dismissed from a gang of men because they think she doesn't belong to it. I have seen this more than once around me, in the educated society that I stand in, men are unable to give women, who by all means are equal or above them, the respect they deserve. We often forget our roots or that one person we grew up being so fond off. I don't have any disrespect for men but for those who think they are superior to women because of their gender I don't have any respect. This is well said but is worth repeating that, women have established themselves in every field and are no less than man in conducting any kind of work. What they want from the society is appreciation for their hard work and not mercy for being the so called 'weaker gender'.

I for one have taken up this project because I believe in myself. I believe that I can explain to at least some people that a woman is different to that bird caged in our house we pet for our entertainment. A woman is as human as a man. She too has the ability to choose for herself and speak for herself. She has the ability to express her emotions fully, which doesn't make her weak but gives her the ability to express herself truly. If you hurt/rape a woman you are not proving to this world that you are superior, you are only proving how incapable you are in exercising control on yourself and how shallow you are in strength and character.