Chuck Being a Bait — Remember, You’re Precious, Treasure Yourself
Every year, Women’s Day serves as a poignant reminder to celebrate the achievements, strengths and resilience of women worldwide. This Women’s Day, the focus extends beyond mere celebration; it delves into the often overlooked aspect of women’s lives — the pervasive game of baiting within their own circles.
Whether in biological families, marriages, friendships, or under the guise of well-wishers, the subtle art of manipulation turns women into unwitting pawns.
Baiting Game in Biological Families
Even within the supposed safety of biological families, women can find themselves participating in a baiting game. Societal expectations and traditional gender roles often coerce women into specific roles or responsibilities under the pretext of familial duty. Take Danya, a talented artist stifled by familial expectations, sacrificing her dreams to fit into predetermined molds. Women become bait to fulfill societal expectations, undermining their individuality.
Baiting Within Marriages
The baiting game transcends matrimony. Women can unknowingly become instruments of manipulation within their marriages, compromising ambitions under the guise of love and care. Harpreet, a successful professional, found herself giving up opportunities to feed her husband’s ambitions, illustrating the dangerous subtleties of emotional blackmail.
Friendships and the Deceptive Bait
Friendships, meant to be a source of support, can turn into grounds for deception. Individuals may enter friendships with hidden motives, using unsuspecting women as baits for personal gains. Cynthia’s experience highlights the emotional toll when friends exploit her kindness for personal interests.
Well-Wishers or Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing?
The term “well-wishers” can often conceal hidden agendas. Maya’s story exemplifies how individuals, posing as mentors, manipulate women into doing their bidding under the guise of care, betraying their trust.
Lovers Turned Manipulators
Romantic relationships can be a breeding ground for manipulation. Love can be exploited to trap women in cycles of emotional and financial dependence. Danya’s experience showcases the insidious transformation of love into a weapon.
Education as an Empowering Tool
Education plays a crucial role in making women aware of their situations. Exposure to movies and social media platforms provides diverse experiences to learn from. Empowerment begins with self-awareness, and a well-informed woman can resist subtle manipulations, preventing herself from becoming bait.
Breaking the Chains — A Call to Action
The stories of Danya, Harpreet, Cynthia and Maya underscore the pervasive baiting game. Recognising these patterns is the first step to breaking free from the chains of manipulation. Women must assert their individuality, set boundaries and refuse to be pawns in someone else’s game.
Empowerment begins with self-awareness. Women should be vigilant and discerning in relationships, questioning societal norms that confine them. Embracing dreams, ambitions and desires is not selfish but a necessary step towards true empowerment.
Education and awareness play pivotal roles in dismantling structures perpetuating the baiting game. Societal conversations must shift towards encouraging autonomy, individuality and mutual respect in relationships. It’s time to challenge stereotypes binding women to predefined roles and expectations.
Inspiring Inclusion — Women’s Day 2024
As we celebrate Women’s Day in 2024, the theme “Inspire Inclusion” takes center stage. It’s a call to recognise the contributions of all women, irrespective of their backgrounds, identities and experiences. Inspiring inclusion means creating spaces where every woman feels valued, respected and empowered to contribute her unique perspective.
Reflecting on the stories of Danya, Harpreet, Cynthia and Maya, let’s remember that true empowerment involves breaking free from manipulation and dismantling barriers preventing full societal participation. Inspiring inclusion requires collective action to challenge systemic inequalities, advocate for policy reforms and foster a culture of empathy, understanding and allyship.
On this Women’s Day, let’s commit to inspiring inclusion in all aspects of our lives. Celebrate the achievements of women from all walks of life and work together to build a future where every woman can thrive. Draw inspiration from the resilience, courage and determination of women everywhere and create a world where every woman is seen, heard and valued — an inclusive world where we can all truly flourish.
Copyright Notice:
© [2024] [Farheen Viquas]. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission from the author.
