HZ Exclusive: Social Media Influencer, Dr. Chinna Dua On Gender Equality, Women's Rights And More

"Medical doctor, singer, passionate cook, saree wearer and now labelled by the media, a social media influencer," reads Dr. Chinna Dua's Instagram bio. Dr. Chinna Dua clearly has many roles to play and she nails it all. Dr. Padmavati Dua, lovingly called Chinna by her friends has taken over social media like anything lately. She is a saree influencer one day and a cuisine connoisseur the other day. Wait, there is more. She loves singing and customises her bindis every single day. If you are lucky enough, just like me to have a chat with her then her thoughts will blow your mind for sure. I got an opportunity to speak to her about building a gender-equal world, the changing status of women in India and a lot more. Read on.

Talking about this year's campaign theme 'Each For Equal' for International Women's Day, she said, "In our country, for ages, there is gender equality which has been passed on through generations. Unfortunately, literacy is not synonymous with education and domestic violence is seen amongst the literate too. Along with literacy the people of both genders have to be educated. While the men have to be taught to look at women & treat them as equals, women have to be empowered & taught not to tolerate inequality. The change has begun but not at a desirable fast pace. However, that doesn't mean one loses hope and doesn't try to bring about a change. One can see the change in the newer generation, in both the genders. In young couples, one can see the men helping around, taking care of the home & kids, especially amongst working couples. In the past, many women were treated as glorified maids.

"There was rampant inequality which is changing but it will require a lot of education, counselling people. We have often heard & experienced that children learn more by observing than by what we teach them." Hence if the father treats the mother very well then the son learns to treat his wife as an equal and also learns to respect women. Likewise, if a young boy sees his father indulging in domestic violence or uses abusive language and the mother tolerates it, the message that the boy gets is that this is normal & that’s how women are to be treated.

"It is not only important to teach men but also women. They should learn to stand up for their rights, to retaliate, to oppose and to make it clear that they are not okay with it. It is not about the rural sector or urban sector, it is about the mindset."

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"Today, we are influenced a lot by not only television, radio but also social media. Even in remote villages, people have phones. So, videos and messages aimed at changing the mindset of people should be circulated and the change will happen.

Even today, a lot of women are unaware of their rights and suffer a lot because of it. Dr. Chinna Dua also shared with us why it is important for women to be aware of their rights. She said, "The problem here is that there has been gross inequality in our country for generations. Women need to know about their rights, they need to be empowered so that they know they don't have to tolerate nonsense at all, that they are equal human beings and they have the right to live in the same manner that a man does."

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"It is changing, it is slow. It is just like the minute hand on the clock, it moves very slowly while the second-hand moves very fast. When you look at the minute hand after a few minutes, you find it has moved. You need to make a continuous concerted effort so that ultimately there is a perceptible change. The society has to change and certainly change for the better. Both men & women have to be sensitised," Dr. Chinna Dua shared while speaking of the changing status of women in India.

A lot of women fail to build their own identity thanks to the gender stereotypes that limit their scope. Dr. Chinna Dua talking about the same shared, "My mother was only 13 when she got married. She grew up in a village. Although she wanted to study, she was born at different times when girls were married off very early. However, she made a very firm resolve that all her will be educated and she would not marry off her daughters till they complete their education. We are 5 sisters and 2 brothers and we were all treated equally. There was no gender discrimination by our parents. My mother ensured that we are empowered. It is extremely important that women not only empower themselves but they must empower women around them, their children, their girl child or any woman in their surroundings whom they can influence. It is very important to build your identity and to stand up on your own."

She added, "Though my mother wasn't educated, she ensured that we are all educated and she always stood by us. Our parents never told us that this is what you should become. They were fully supportive. All this helped us create our own identity."

International Women's Day is just around the corner and what better than celebrating it with some inspiring words from Dr. Chinna Dua. Social Media Influencer, Chinna Dua had a really special message for all women out there. She said, "It is a general belief that women bring other women down more often as opposed to men. We do see that happening around us. It’s time to change that. Let's help each other and empower each other. It will be a beautiful world, if there are no inequalities, everybody is educated, sensitive. Imagine the interaction with like-minded people. The change will happen. Amen."