Let's Blame The Woman: The National Malady That Just Doesn't Die Down

"HISTORY IS THE WITNESS THAT WHENEVER ANUSHKA SHARMA HAS COME TO THE STADIUM TO WATCH THE MATCH, WE HAVE LOST THE MATCH… BAN HER FROM ENTERING ANY CRICKET STADIUM.🏟️🙏🙏 (sic)" read one of the many tweets targeting cricketer Virat Kohli's wife, actor Anushka Sharma after India lost the ICC World Test Championship 2023 to Australia. It wasn't surprising to see heartbroken cricket fanatics labelling Sharma’s 'bad luck' for husband Kohli once again instead of hailing the Indian cricket team for putting in their relentless efforts throughout the game.

India failed as a cricket team during the tournament but rather than acknowledging it, the disheartened Indian cricket fans dragged Sharma into it and pointed fingers at her. After all, blame-the-woman disorder continues to exist.

Don't you think it is odd for people to call out a person's presence at the stadium for the outcome of the match? Among the thousands of spectators watching their country play, Sharma was like any other but blaming her was much more convenient than pulling down the pedestalled Indian cricket team for their play.

If we still give in to the logic and presume Anushka Sharma brings misfortune to the team, where do these fans disappear when the team brings home winning trophies? We wonder why we hesitate to attribute the wins to her.

This isn’t the first time a celebrated actress from showbiz became a target of brutal trolls over her partner’s failure. Earlier, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was blamed for husband Abhishek Bachchan’s career doom, Rhea Chakraborty was blamed for late actor Sushant Singh Rajput's alleged suicide, and Priyanka Chopra was called out for SRK's alleged adultery. Unfortunately, it was only women on the receiving end of hate.

Don't Miss: Decoding The Curious Case Of Shaming Women For Their Clothing Choices

Why Do Women Always End Up Being The Target?

The blame game stems from the societal prejudice towards women and their subservient status in society for ages now. Blaming women is deeply ingrained in our minds and we all quickly question the woman in the picture instead of holding the man accountable for his actions if anything wrong happens. From being blamed for their child's mistakes to being questioned for crimes against them, women have to bear the brunt of blaming phenomenon. The notion of female blaming has creeped into our society a little too deeply and not surprising that it doesn't pain us anymore.

Don't Miss: Hunting Down Misogyny Ft. Netflix Thriller Dramedy ‘You’

Do We Have A Silver Lining?

Last year, I came across a story of a young widow from rural Maharashtra who was disowned by her in-laws after the death of her husband. She was given tags like 'unlucky' and 'bad omen'. Women are deemed the 'she-devil' every time things take the wrong route. Sadly, it all traces back to the misogyny that has existed for years now.

We inhabit a world that celebrates women for their existence and achievements on one side and is quick to spew hate towards them on the other. The duplicity is unpleasant but unfortunately doesn't seem to die. The hate against women has only heightened over the years and the only silver lining is a change of heart, don't you think?