Why We Need Wonder Women

It’s been a couple of weeks since “Wonder Woman” was released and I still find it a hot topic of discussion wherever I go. I’ve read umpteen posts on social media in awe of the film and many of them positive reviews. This is not a review of the film, although it may seem to be so.

As highly engaging music plays in the background, Wonder Woman flips heavy vehicles, runs across fields with bullets raining down on her and delivers kick-ass punches and blows on the way. Apart from this immense physical prowess and strength, she is smart, knows about a hundred different languages and has a greatersense of responsibility and empathy than half of our population combined. Rightly so, she is now a role model for kids and adults alike. While children are now keen on Wonder Woman themed birthday parties, dressing up and parading around in her outfit, adults talk about this boost to feminism and female power.

I love superhero movies. They always make me feel better. Plus, they’re highly invigorating. Now that I think about it, every superhero film has a pseudo-strong female. There’s at least one scene in which she is helpless and waiting to be rescued by the all-powerful male protagonist. She’s shown to be fragile and is used as a pawn by the villain.

Why is this image always portrayed? Women are, and can be physically strong. They are smart and perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. Why is this one-sided dependency always depicted? In this respect, Wonder Woman shattered stereotypes. For young girls and boys alike, this was a revelation and a welcome one, at that. In an age where children are easily influenced, dispelling false notions ofweak females is like a gust of fresh air.

Moving away from fiction, everybody needs to realise that females can’t be categorised blatantly as the “weaker sex”. To let go of these assumptions, prejudices and gender biases is what the world desperately needs right now. In a world where Trump makes statements like “grabbing them by the pussy” and where basic necessities like sanitary napkins are taxed whilesindoorand bangles are made tax free and accessible to all, in a world where there’s a desperation to fit women into a patriarchal, male chauvinistic mould, the perception about women needs to change.

For now, I’m glad that we’ve begun discussing and we’re focusing on more “wonder women” of this world.

Opinions are of the writer. This blog was first published on Safecity.

Rudhdi Walawalkar, part of Safecity's Writer's Movement, isa first year law student at ILS Law college, Pune. She reads, writes and paints as much as she eats and sleeps! I think it’s nice to have an opinion in a world where everyone wants to be politically correct. Passionate about women’s right, cats, dogs and pretty much everything under the sun. Oh! I always strive to be a better Gryffindor- where dwell the brave at heart.