Exclusive: Acharya Prashant Talks About Empowering Women, Shifting Mindsets, Embracing Motherhood, And More

Prashant Tripathi, widely recognised as Acharya Prashant, is an Indian philosopher and author celebrated for his ability to simplify complex spiritual concepts for the general public. With an impressive following of over 75 million across social media platforms, including YouTube, he has made a significant impact worldwide, amassing billion views on his teachings. Recently, we had the opportunity to engage with this prominent figure on Jagran Manthan, where political editor Smriti Rastogi discussed various important topics with him, including motherhood, women's issues, marriage challenges, office culture, and career development.

Acharya Prashant On Motherhood And Maternity Leaves

Smriti Rastogi highlighted a common issue where women who take maternity breaks often face scrutiny upon their return, with people questioning what they accomplished during their time away. This has led many women to delay pregnancy due to concerns about balancing their careers and home life. In response to this, Acharya Prashant compared human children to animal offspring. He explained that while an animal's baby can adapt to the world relatively quickly, a human child requires one to two decades to achieve both physical and mental development. This crucial development period heavily depends on the mother's role in providing proper nurturing.

Acharya Prashant stressed the importance of a mother being exposed to the world. If a woman is confined to her home, her child's development could be hindered. He said, "Society often praises women who sacrifice everything for their children, but if a mother isn't engaged with the world, she has less to offer to her child's education and upbringing." He argued that a person becomes truly human through learning and experiences. Employers should support mothers by offering work-from-home options and creating environments where new mothers can bring their children to work, with designated rooms for childcare. It's also essential for men to understand and respect women's perspectives, as making a woman unhappy can impede personal growth.

He cited China as an example, noting that 60 percent of women there are employed, compared to only 30 percent in India. Acharya Prashant emphasised that a nation that does not support the advancement of its women cannot progress effectively.

Acharya Prashant On Women Drivers, Professional Excellence, And The Need For Equal Responsibility

Smriti Rastogi then brought up an interesting topic regarding how women drivers are often looked down upon and criticised, with many people feeling terrified at the sight of a woman behind the wheel. She cited statistics from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, noting that in 2022, 96.3 percent of those who died in reckless driving incidents were male, while only 3.7 percent were female.

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In response, Acharya Prashant said, “Statistics also show men are more likely to cause accidents than women. Despite this, there persists a narrow-minded belief that women must be bad drivers, leading to mockery and unfair criticism.” He argued that giving the steering wheel to a woman is actually safer. He shared that women excel in many professional fields and personally feels safer when a woman is in charge, such as a female pilot. He emphasised that these outdated notions need to change.

Acharya Prashant also stressed that two key elements for women's independence are mobile phones and mobility. He noted that men typically gain access to these at a young age, whereas women often receive them much later. He concluded by saying that a household functions best with the support of both men and women. If men take on too much pressure, instability arises. Therefore, equal responsibilities should be shared with women.

Acharya Prashant On Gender Disparities In Suicide Rates And The Need For Equal Access To Education

Smriti highlighted that, according to 2021 data, there were 10,000 farmer suicides, whereas the number of women who committed suicide exceeded 45,000. Acharya Prashant responded by noting that men often leave their homes when they find the environment toxic, but women typically leave only when they get married or elope. He pointed out that many women suicides occur at their husband's homes. He expressed amazement at how society remains blind to these statistics and continues to ignore the harsh reality.

Acharya Prashant further said, “Women have the same basic needs as men, and this is a matter of basic humanity. Just as education and spiritual education are essential for everyone, they are equally crucial for women. When women have access to these, the number of women suicides will decline.”

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Acharya Prashant On The Need To Rethink Women’s Roles

Smriti pointed out that nowadays, many women have achieved great success as entrepreneurs, which should serve as an inspiration for other women. Pandit Acharya Prashant agreed but emphasised that a change in mentality is necessary. He explained that if a woman stays at home, only doing kitchen work and other chores, and believes that this is her source of happiness, then she won't look up to women who work outside the home. He also noted that women's labour force participation is declining, often because women choose not to work if their husbands earn enough. This mindset needs to change.

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Acharya Prashant highlighted that society has created an image of women as 'ghar ki devi' (goddess of the home), and to progress, this thinking needs to be set aside.

He concluded the conversation by addressing the growing issue of infidelity in society. He suggested that if a marriage is plagued by infidelity, it likely indicates that the marriage or the relationship was flawed from the beginning. People should understand each other well before getting married. He also mentioned that getting married at 25 is often too soon nowadays and emphasised the importance of truly understanding one another before making such a commitment.