The best thing in a life to be a Mom: Feminists of our age should celebrate Mother’s day http://bit.ly/lzrwBb
Our feminist thinkers always so far try to skip the idea that offspring begging is a natural instinct of a woman and it is related to our ecological and environmental situation. Anything against it may resulted to disaster, we find, a woman has to pass through a different stage in her life span and there is a phase where a woman feels an intense need of her own offspring. Feminists of second wave feminism have always tried to pursue a woman against the natural law because it is seemed to them that motherhood is barricade for the freedom of a woman. But if the woman has her own working field, doesn’t have it mean that her working assignments would demand more of her time, of her sincerity and of course of her freedom? If a woman can adjust herself and can sacrifice her freedom for her own identity at out side her home, then why she shouldn’t sacrifice some of her freedom for parenting, when parenting is also a part of one of her social identity? And it could also be solved by rejecting the patriarchal role of parenting. We have to insist the idea of the division of labor in parenting. This equally shared parenting is now common in Western, but still in South Asian countries we find it as a taboo factor rather because of economic inequality between men and women, our crazy work culture, and the constrictions that are placed on us by traditional gender roles.
Mother’s Day is a day for many people to show their appreciation towards mothers and mother figures worldwide. It is an annual event but is held at different dates in the calendar, depending on the country.
16 comments:
I think you are correct on one point: mother's day should be celebrated by feminist writers and motherhood is the most desirable status for a woman. You have proved it yourself. Being one of the most powerful feminist writers of our times, you , like SaraJoseph and Sara Thomas of Kerala now living, and like Kamaladas now no more with us,are writing sensibly while being at the same time a loving mother.
I agree, Sarojini. I found raising my children to be empowering. It gave me great insights into more humane, patient, and useful ways of conducting life's business that I would like to see applied to global affairs generally. My husband and I had a good division of parenting and that made all the difference.
why should all women aspire for motherhood? it is time for us to think not twice, but many times before producing a child to face an uncertain future, the way humankind is acting, destroying all our natural resources, poisoning the air and water and all the food we eat and the cruelty increasing day by day.
Thank you madam for reminding us of the great occasion to celebrate motherhood. Let us all join and say hooray to all mothers! It is so selfless, dedicated and tender on your part to sacrifice so much so that we all had every comfort, help and support all through our childhood!
Thank you for reminding us of the great occasion to remember all the mothers. Our gratitude to you all!
Ma'am the issue raised is very pertinent. The western concept of joint responsibility of raising a child is the only solution to the phobia working women suffer from these days which also sometimes result in post delivery depression. I am not against women being mothers but I am not happy with forcing women into the Procrustean bed of stereotypical role according to which the onus of child's upbringing falls exclusively on women. The mothers sacrificing their freedom is quite disconcerting. Why cant we expect the male counterparts to share the responsibility so that MOTHERING becomes PARENTING. This change will certainly help women to celebrate not evade the biological role of being a mother.
I agree with you, though I'm not privileged to be a mother, or have a mother.
I believe that a mother is the embodiment of God!
Dr Subhendu Mund
Visiting Professor, IIT Bhubaneswar
Chief Editor: Indian Journal of World Literature and Culture
Vice-President, Indian Association for Commonwealth Literature and
Language Studies
Member, Advisory Board (Odia), Sahitya Akademi
Former Principal and Former Head, Department of English,
BJB Autonomous College
Bhubaneswar.
Home:
'Prabhamayee'
VI-M -37 Sailashree Vihar
Bhubaneswar 751 021. INDIA.
"motherhood is barricade for the freedom of a woman".
Its certainly not. If our feminist thinkers feel so,then they are obviously wrong. A Feminist shoud look at expression of feminity in all facets of Creation . Motherhood , is the complete expression of feminity. Being a mother , the a true feminist can discover her true self. It indeed gives a very rational and un prejudiced understanding of feminity. Its a complete realisation, which is indispensable and worth enjoying by every women, the eternal source of procreation ..and not a biological device of rep[roduction.
Shantanu Prusty
Motherhood is by no means an instinct and a wish for all women. Glorifying motherhood and putting it above all other life forms punishes all women who remain childless, no matter for which reason.
It is right that motherhood would be a choice and not just a social obligation or something to be rejected if the burden of motherhood did not fall on women alone. And here, women in the West (where the division of work and shared parenting lets still much to desire) are more isolated than their Eastern counterparts, who usually can count with the help of other female relatives. Parenting is not only the co-responsibility of the male parent, but of society as a whole. By offering help of the most diverse kind, be it by government, institutions or voluntary associations, society protects its bases and future and contributes to motherhood being a desirable option.
It remains an option, nevertheless. Biology is not determination. Woman can create children, they can create books and all things men create as well. They may care about their own children, children of other people, the sick and elderly, about animals and the environment and anything which appeals to their compassion. And they may leave a trace to the following generations by raising children and by any other act of transgenerational responsibility - last not least, by being an example of a woman responsible for her own life, in syntony with herself and therefore able to contribute best to the whole, by claiming and exercising the freedom of choice.
Thank you for this beautiful article. I agree that women should keep one of their most rewarding options, that of being a mother. It is a divine right of theirs. It is understandable why many feminists have shut the door on motherhood in order to protect other options and choices - and the choice to be a mother or not is a very difficult one to make - but those who become mothers can also succeed as free people, especially if the woman can manage economic independence. In any case, limiting ones options puts a limit on freedom, the last thing we need.
Mothers make a better world, the freer they are. It is obvious, looking at the world, that where women are more powerful, so are men. Free women raise free, strong children.
Motherhood is by no means an instinct and a wish for all women. Glorifying motherhood and putting it above all other life forms punishes all women who remain childless, no matter for which reason.
It is right that motherhood would be a choice and not just a social obligation or something to be rejected if the burden of motherhood did not fall on women alone. And here, women in the West (where the division of work and shared parenting lets still much to desire) are more isolated than their Eastern counterparts, who usually can count with the help of other female relatives. Parenting is not only the co-responsibility of the male parent, but of society as a whole. By offering help of the most diverse kind, be it by government, institutions or voluntary associations, society would protect its bases and future and contribute to motherhood being a desirable option.
It remains an option, nevertheless. Biology is not determination. Woman can create children, they can create books and all things men create as well. They may care about their own children, children of other people, the sick and elderly, about animals and the environment and anything which appeals to their compassion. And they may leave a trace to the following generations by raising children and by any other act of transgenerational responsibility - last not least, by being an example of a woman responsible for her own life, in syntony with herself and therefore able to contribute best to the whole, by claiming and exercising the freedom of choice.
I do agree with Dr. Sarojini. Renouncing motherhood is as unnatural as celibacy. It is a drive against the flow of the system. There is none venerable than a mother. Thanks Dr. Sarojini for giving us the opportunity to share our views
- K. V. Dominic, Secretary, Guild of Indian English Writers, Editors and Critics (GIEWEC) & Chief Editor, International Journal on Multicultural Literature (IJML)
Being a mother is a natural God gifted instinct to a mother,it is something very special gift to a women apart from many other thing.s
Women should sit at home, do all domestic or menial work, and keep herself submissive towards her husband. Take care of her body so that she looks beautiful to amuse her husband. To become beautiful do extensive makeup, and so on, it is generally believe that it is the instinct of women.
But I am always sure that it is relative not absolute. If men arms were weaker than women the scenario will be reverse altogether.
But I am dead sure that motherhood is natural, mother can do anything for her offspring; even at critical time sacrifice her life without claiming any reward. If anyone tries to harm child her mother become lioness to safeguard. This instinct is same in animals also.
At beach recently I saw female monkey who was separated from its kid for many hours, when they met monkey keep hugging and kissing the kid for a long time, an unforgettable and inspiring scene in my life.
Offspring begging is a design of nature, only women can be pregnant, men cant. Feminist thinkers can’t do anything, except men should help women at this critical time of pregnancy.
Happy Mother day.
सौ प्रतिशत सही है. मातृदिवस की बहुत-बहुत शुभकामनाएं.
Yes, you are correct. But it may hurt the some percentage of woman. Because there are lot of woman who enjoyed/are enjoying motherhood.
About barricade of freedom, woman started to think she will be barred from her freedom soon when her parents started to talk of her married life not after giving a birth to child. I think this happen to same to man also.
Many man and woman think that it would be more difficult and it will cut more freedom when child is born. May be this is happening due to following points:
1. Modern World. (so they love to be modern)
2. Traditional Belief of Lack on Natural Beauty.
3. Busy Involvement / Busy schedule.
4. Economy.
5. Lack of period of showing ability/capacity.
6.etc.
But after some period they started to feel about parenthood even the above mentioned points effects.
You have raised the western culture. Yes, it is true that effect of western culture is hovering all over the world slowly. But a subject of motherhood cannot be mixed with the culture. See, Angelina Jolie has adopted 2 child before her own born child step to the world. Even we can give example of Sushmita Sen who is still unmarried ( sorry! I am not against the one’s wishing of marry or not but I am talking about the nature of woman who are known as reservoir of love) . They all are enjoying motherhood.
Regards
Thakur Man Lama
Nepal.
lamathakur@yahoo.com
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