We live in a world of paradoxes. On one hand, women are defying stereotypes and achieving phenomenal success across various fields including sports, business, science and technology. On the other, pay disparity, gender inequality and discrimination still continue to exist. Despite proving their independence, women are still expected to conform to the rules set by the society. Needless to say, these rules are relaxed for men, but women are expected to adhere to it at all times. Which is why women who dare to defy these preset norms are slut-shamed. Musician Anushka Manchanda was recently a victim of this slut-shaming for supporting the #FreeTheNipple movement. Not one to take things lying down, the singer hit back with a strong response to all the haters who slut-shamed her.
Birthday girl Anushka Manchanda is a Goth Goddess with a snazzy style sense! (In Pics)
The derogatory comments on Anushka Manchanda’s Instagram posts begs the question of whether gender equality is an achievable target in this world. According to Free The Nipple website, the mission behind Free The Nipple is to ‘raise awareness and affect change, in the areas of the inequality of men and women that are still being experienced in the world today’. In a bid to support the #FreeTheNipple movement, Anushka had posted three sets of pictures on Instagram. The pictures highlighted the double-standards of what is okay and what is not according to the society. However, she was trolled for posting these pictures, with some users even accusing her of supporting the campaign only because she wants to post nude pictures of herself.
Here are the three sets of pictures posted by Anushka Manchanda:
1. Why is this okay?
2. Why is she body-shamed?
3. Girl just wanna have…:
Check out some of the comments on her post:
Responding to the nasty comments slut-shaming her, Anushka hit back with a strongly worded response. The long post explains how people have completely missed the point she was trying to convey. She adds that this is about freedom of expression. Quoting Arundhati Roy, Anushka says, “If you’re not a feminist, go back to into your veil, sit in the kitchen and take instructions. You don’t want to do that? Thank the feminists.”
Here is how Anushka responded to the haters:
I HAD to post this. Thank you @naujawan this is hilarious! And sadly the truth. To all the MORONS here who think i’m doing this because I want to post topless photos of myself..you’ve totally missed the point. I can post topless photos of myself ANYWAY. I will do what I want, I don’t need anybody’s permission for it you see because it’s MY BODY. This movement is about EQUALITY. This movement is about women getting the SAME RIGHTS as men. This movement is about FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION. About women EMPOWERING themselves to be who they want without judgement. Do you know women get paid less than a man for the same amount of work? Do you know society still expects a woman to drop her career when she gets married? Do you know that because feminists have fought for you women can now get their rightful inheritance? They can file for divorce? Because of asking for equality now more women can get an education, be financially independent and support themselves? That dowry has been criminalised? Ladies..we owe A LOT to the feminists. As Arundhati Roy said in an interview with @otherwarya (that really changed how I felt about feminism)..” I get so annoyed when I hear “cool” young women say ‘I’m not a feminist.’ I mean, do they know what battles were fought? Every freedom we have today, we have because of feminists. Many women have fought and paid a huge price for where we are today! It didn’t all come to us only because of our own inherent talent or brilliance. Even the simple fact that women have the vote, who fought for that? The suffragettes. No freedom has come without a huge battle. If you’re not a feminist, go back to into your veil, sit in the kitchen and take instructions. You don’t want to do that? Thank the feminists.” She goes on to say “It’s wonderful to see the emerging independence of women in India, but then there’s this dark undercurrent of conservatism running parallel to this revolution. Remember the women in Afghanistan? When we were growing up, they were doctors and surgeons, they partied and wore cool clothes. And now? We have to be alert to the dangers. We can be set back by centuries in no time at all.” NEVER FORGET #freethenipple #equality
A post shared by Anushka Manchanda (@anushkadisco) on
Ironically, a few hours after posting this message, Anushka Manchanda posted a picture on Instagram which stated that an earlier post of her’s had been deleted as it did not align with the community guidelines of Instagram
Check out the post here:
An article by Lina Esco, who was the director of the 2012 film titled Free The Nipple and who is also the founder of the movement, states that Free The Nipple is about having a choice. ‘If it becomes legal to show your nipples in public, do you honestly think all women are going to run around topless?’ she says in her article published in Time magazine in 2015. And having a ‘choice’ is surely one of the most basic rights for a human being, say people who agree with the movement. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments section below.