The inimitable IHM kicked off this theme of ‘My sins against gender stereotypes’ and that brought me out of my blogging funk 
The tag says, “list at least ten things you have ever wanted or done which your gender is not supposed to.”
And here’s the thing - when I thought about it, I realized that I like and want many things which are conventionally associated with women, but I don’t think that makes me less feminist in any way. For instance, I like cooking, I like jewellery ( at least to look at) and I like new clothes (though I don’t hoard old ones), but I firmly believe in partners sharing household work and in women’s need to be financially independent. To me, feminism is about women having the right to make decisions independently, in their own interest.
I guess what I am trying to say is that gender stereotypes are not just about wearing pink, wearing (or not wearing) shorts or liking jewellery - I have seen women who dress extremely “modern” but are aghast at the idea of men doing housework, and I have a cousin who is very modest in her dressing and highly religious, but absolutely modern in her thinking on what women are entitled to. (You know who you are :))
Now, coming to the tag - I doubt I have committed that many obvious sins against gender stereotypes, but let me try!
1. I’ve travelled independently from the time I was in my late teens, and never felt afraid to, simply because I am female.
2. I’ve been open about my relationships and never believed that a woman’s ‘name will be spoilt’.
3. I dislike most housework (folding clothes, ironing, cleaning loos), and while it irks me that I am often called lazy by my family, I don’t see that as a good enough reason to change!
4. As a teenager, I was encouraged to aim for a teaching job, as one ’suitable for women’ - rejected the idea outright.
5. I’m comfortable with the husband doing his share of work at home, and many chores are not assigned to any one person - there is no ‘man’s work’ or ‘woman’s work’ at our home.
6. I had no hesitation being the first to tell my husband that I liked him (back in the days when he wasn’t yet the husband). Who says girls have to be ‘asked’?
7. I don’t believe that I need to wear a mangalsutra or sindoor to ‘demonstrate my marital status‘.
8. I have always helped my parents financially, when needed. When I stayed at home (after I began working), I paid my dad a fixed amount every month to cover my share of expenses. Thankfully, my dad is modern too, in this aspect and not one of those who think daughters shouldn’t take care of their parents.
9. When organizing anything, I don’t wait for the men to pick up heavy stuff, move things etc.
10. I am the financial manager of my house - I handle the bank, savings, investments, and keeping track of the spending.
I don’t know whom to tag, because it looks like many people have already been tagged! So, at the risk of being cursed to wear only blue pants all my life, here are the ‘taggees’ I can think of - Uma, R’s Mom and Itchy.
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