Time and again, clips of ‘women’s self-sacrifice’ make rounds on the internet - inviting praise and encouragement. But it’s about time we confront the underlying sexism and call it for what it is: perpetuating a system where women’s needs are always meant to be put below their male counterparts’.
A recent Instagram reel has gone viral, featuring an Indian couple at their dining table. The clip shows the man signaling to his wife to serve him more rice. Busy on his phone, he doesn’t even notice that the woman has to take some from her own plate to fulfill his request.
This simple yet powerful portrayal underscores how normalised it is for women to forgo their own needs, especially food, to feed the men in their family. Besides, the very Instagram reel highlighting this instance as an example of ‘true love’ is precisely how women’s one-sided sacrifices are enables and encouraged.
Take a look:
The video's impact has been tremendous, garnering over 8.8 million views on Twitter and 229K views on Instagram. Its virality sparked a multitude of responses, with several pointing out the inherent superiority the man exercised by merely signalling his wife to serve him food, when she’s also eating at the dining table.
While some viewers appreciated the reel for initiating essential conversations, others expressed concern about perpetuating the notion of women's subservience. The diverse range of reactions showcases the complex and nuanced nature of this evolving societal issue.
Check them out here:
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