Humour and satire have great potential to bring visibility to and foster critical thinking on gender equality issues. Seeta & Geeta is a humorous attempt to help end gender discrimination with spirited and thoughtful depictions of the inequalities women face in India.
This is a satirical take on the unique desi feminist issues that are still prevalent in India and showcases some of the hindering customs that our ancestral forefathers have passed down. The overarching concept of Seeta depicts the docile Indian girl who accepts everything that Society throws at her and blindly follows it, while Geeta depicts the new age Indian girl who refuses to be a doormat, questions illogical age-old customs, and embraces only what makes sense to her.
Seeta & Geeta shows the dichotomy that exists in our Society today, the two faces of the Indian woman that exist even today.
The book is a collection of stories that remind us of the struggles that women face, sometimes because of their caste, class, religion or age, and sometimes irrespective of these factors. But they also celebrate their attempts to negotiate through the social maze and break free of their restricting circumstances.
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The stories are set in both rural and urban areas – there are bits of remote Bihar as also bits of Bengaluru or Chandigarh in them.
The stories deal with different issues, most of which have been declared unconstitutional, but continue to exist and thrive, such as child marriage/ gauna, dowry, female feticide, acid attacks, love jihad, the ‘fair and lovely’ cult, virginity rituals and body shaming. In most stories, the characters will be seen dealing with a situation upfront and seeing their fears and insecurities in the eye. Sometimes, the protagonists do manage to effect larger change, but sometimes they don’t. They deal with their circumstances the best way they can; which is how real people face their problems.
The stories are bound to strike a chord with most, particularly modern Indian women and young girls, as they talk of their everyday life, the challenges they face, and the boundaries they want to break down. It was our conscious choice not to make this book preachy. There is enough of that out there.
We want the stories to trigger thinking – among women and men, young girls and boys alike. Then it is up to every individual to effect the change they deem fit. Change, after all, has to be driven at the micro-level.
We believe that for change to be sustainable, it needs to begin within the family unit. A starting point could be a change in the power dynamics within the family, and a change in the mindsets. Of course, mothers need to push for their daughters’ education, but they also need to teach their sons about the need to treat women with respect. Boys need to be taught from a very young age that they are not a superior gender, and that women are not inferior creatures.
If we get these basics right, we could go a long way.
This is not to say that there hasn’t been any change in the last few decades. There has. But we have a long way to go, and we cannot stop here. We shouldn’t. We strongly feel that the lens through which we look at all situations needs to become more gender neutral in India.
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Our stories provide a slice of life as it exists at the ground level, but there is no reason why we cannot hope to change it.
These are stories that we have been carrying in our hearts for many years. If this book manages to touch a few hearts and change a few lives, we would consider it mission accomplished.
For even if you change a few lives, it is all worth it!
While we want everyone to read it and experience Seeta & Geeta and draw their own lessons, in a snapshot, here are a few from our end.
Most important lessons to embrace:
(A) Gender should be treated as a spectrum, and not as two extremes. As a society, we need to become more gender neutral.
(B) Education will be the bedrock of all change at the ground level.
(C) Rural inclusion is very important in order for change to stand a chance.
(D) Old customs and traditions that were set hundreds of years ago have to be adapted and re-interpreted in order for them to make sense in today’s climate.
(E) Every young girl needs to have the confidence in herself that she can stand up for herself and build the life that she dreams of, one small step at a time. Being a girl doesn’t make her the lesser gender.
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About the Authors
Anoushka is an award winning entrepreneur, a marketer, and a TEDx Speaker, who believes that there is no substitute to hard work. She is also the force behind Lajja Diaries, Di-Mentions Studio, an award-winning digital marketing agency; and Grow Labs. Jyoti Adya is the Founding Member of Lajja Diaries and Executive Director of the Lajja Foundation, has more than 10 years of experience in the field of social work.
Lajja Diaries – The Inspiration
Conceived on the 2nd anniversary of Nirbhaya, Lajja Diaries is a platform that encourages discourse on Women’s Rights in India and across the world. “Shed the shame and share” is what Lajja Diaries, truly believes in. Started in 2014, Lajja Foundation is an award-winning NGO that has connected thousands of women over the years, created a community and has won several awards including Community Developer of the Year by IIT Delhi and an award from Mr Akshay Kumar for their slum menstrual hygiene camps.Lajja envisages a society, where women, irrespective of caste, class and religion, enjoy full citizenship, earn a livelihood with dignity and generate wealth and value for all.
