Adam and Eve.. The first man and woman on this Earth. Legend has it that Eve was constituted from the humble beginnings of Adam's rib. Only god can testify the truth of this legend. So does that imply that women were created just to serve men? Did womanhood come into existence only to drive away a man's loneliness? A statement like the one above is sure to raise a few eyebrows. However, i shall be damned if not every woman on this planet has had this thought at least once in her lifetime!

This current era of which we are a part of seems to be promising and exciting for the cause of Woman Liberation. One can observe these gusty changes in the winds when they come across names like Kalpana Chawla, Hillary Clinton, Sonia Gandhi, Beyonce, Aishwariya Rai Bacchan, Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfrey, Sudha Murthy, Kiran Bedi, Barkha Dutt and the list is longer than one can think. These women have shown us time and again that it ain't impossible to outshine men in a Man's world. However, there is a major glitch to this Herculean task.

Being a woman, they have to struggle twice as much to be noticed seriously. Repeatedly, she has to prove that the nature of her caliber is genuine and inherent rather than it being a stroke of luck. Sometimes even that does not suffice. We have our specialized skills which come along with the entire package of womanhood. Sometimes, it works for us. Other times, it backfires.

For instance - a woman's beauty. Against a woman's charm, not even the best of rishi munni's can resist. For every Vishwamitra there comes along a Meneka. Men are men after all. A strong influential woman intimidates a man more than he thinks he can be. No man is going to accept that publicly.

If a smart and talented individual is rising up the echelons of the corporate world in a surprisingly short duration, the whispers that circulate are different for a male and a female candidate. If that person's a man then the rumour mills will be singing songs about his efficiency, networking skills and brilliant hard-work. However, for a woman, there will be riveting circumspection regarding her personal relations with the bosses or how the main boss digs her "assets". You may shrug it off if this sounds uncomfortable to you but the fact cannot be denied! This is how the wheels spin!

Some tasks are type-casted for a feminine hand and others are monopolized by men at large. Society expects a woman to remain cemented to these predetermined portfolios. The moment she tries to venture out of set boundaries, the resistance to be faced is unsurmountable.

How many husbands can digest that his wife earns more than him? How many parents would want their daughters to remain unmarried till she is 30 so that she can focus on her career? How many of us are willing to accept that a woman can do as much as a man and maybe even more?!

In reality, not even women dare to think like that. Conditioned by education and cultured by society, even women cannot give themselves the respect that they ought to get. Why else would a girlfriend subject herself willingly to the torture of an abusive lover? Why else would a mother reject her promotion? Why else would a spinster settle for the first guy that falls in love with her?

The world is Changing. However, are we ready for the change? To my sisters out there, I speak -

Look at yourself in the mirror and ask your yourself

Are you ready to be the son of your house?

Are you ready to be the CR of your class?

Are you ready to be the CEO of your company?

Because for others to believe that you deserve it, you need to believe in yourself first. If you cannot convince yourself then forget about others.

Stop waiting for others to protect you.

Stop being the lamb.

Be the Wolf.