~ Reflections ~

After all the fuss around Women's Day, Men's Day seems to be the flavour of the season. While there seem to be different aspects both these phenomenon's seem to be talking about... but the crux of all the communication around them talks about one thing. Avoid Stereotyping ! Yes, be it man or wo-man, these is no single box that can be assigned to men - only or women - only. Each have their own characteristics, some unique, some similar... The strength of the person is not in whether they are driven by estrogen or testosterone.. it is the unique 'combination' of their characteristics that makes them strong.

In the Corporate world, I have learnt the hard way that the more you are conscious about your/your team's gender, the more people try and take you for a ride. There is no limit to all the nonsense... You try to be careful, and you are told you are distant... You avoid social gatherings, only to be reprimanded that you are anti social... I am often left wondering if the people would give the same responses if the person on the other side was a male. Conveniently, since a majority of most workplaces are filled with men and sprinkled with women, even a random poll would have unfavourable results. So I have finally concluded that I don't care.. Don't care about what others think.. or what they 'expect' from the girl next door, or rather at the next desk....  Of course I am not worried about intimidating men.  The type of man who will be intimidated by me is exactly the type of man I have no interest in.    ~ Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie