Stop Calling Career Oriented Married Women ‘Udonchandi’

The concept of “Udonchandi” the rambunctious rebel is a relative one; signifying a female whom you consider to be “Udonchandi,” I may disagree to do so and vice-versa.

Being a voracious reader, I jumped into reading this Bengali article online, titled “Udonchandi” that I happened to stumble upon.

The title, though untranslatable, can roughly be translated into English to mean a female who is a rambunctious rebel.

There are many examples of Udonchandis in Bangala literature, some even have been adapted to for the screen. She can also be a rebellious heroine with no care for social dictum and gendered expectations!

Having said that, it’s a total no-brainer that the concept of “Udonchandi” is a relative one; signifying a female whom you consider to be “Udonchandi,” I may disagree to do so and vice-versa.

Though the term has been used in Bangala for ages, I didn’t expect to run into a new meaning of it!

Labelling a working woman as Udonchandi was a shocker!

Now, coming to the article: I was shocked to read, that they’ve labelled a married woman putting her needs first as “Udonchandi.” A working woman, who prioritizes her career goals over the wellbeing of others, has also been offered the same title.

I was so stupefied by the notion, that I was forced to forsake the article midway.

Was Udonchandi, a slur I was not aware of? Wasn’t it closer to a rebellious heroine?

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And I fail to discern one thing, though, “Do we really need the validation of the society, to think about ourselves?” I can’t wrap my mind around it!

Sometimes I feel just a handful of people armed with inequality, poisoned by prejudice, are enough to nurture societal hypocrisy.

What to do, not everyone fits into the boxes!

Sadly, we live in a world of a million different boxes. Everyone wants to affiliate with a specific box. They want to live and thrive on their own merit, hence reinforcing vision for oneself regardless of gender should be appreciated and not scorned or labelled.

Making a mark for oneself is a hard road to travel and by no means an easy task. Rather than labelling or offering unsolicited advice, we can claw back some sense ourselves.

Though a major part of the equality puzzle is still missing, we can always make conscious efforts as a society by nurturing equality, elevating social standards, and practising radical acceptance (keeping in mind the remote areas) to name a few.

Image source: Monkey Business Ideas, free and edited on CanvaPro

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About the Author

Debashree Basak

An erstwhile banker she totally believes in the power of words. To her, they can heal the world and herald a change. Therefore, she does her bit by contributing in her own minuscule way! Find read more...

2 Posts | 2,080 Views

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