Do young Indian women still feel the pressure to seekpermission for their professional choices? According to new OkCupid data, anoverwhelming 79 per cent of women believe they need their partner's permissionto work. Only 28 per cent of these women believe they can choose freedom forthemselves.
According to the dating app, "Users on the platform (87per cent men and 96 per cent of women) define feminism as 'equality between allgenders' and yet, patriarchy is so deeply ingrained that permission is stillgiven or withheld from women who seek the things considered bare minimum for aman.
"While generations of patriarchal values are finallylosing their grip on the Indian psyche, people who consider themselves asprogressive still take pride in giving women in their lives"permission" to live their lives. Things that are considered normalfor men continue to be considered a privilege for women like pursuing aneducation, prioritizing career or being on top of the corporate ladder, etc.Establishing an equal partnership in a relationship should be normalized wherewomen shouldn't have to be grateful to men and society for 'allowing' them tomake their own choices," says OkCupid, which has also launched a campaignon similar lines for International Women's Day.
The digital video throws spotlight on benefactors in awoman's life who think they are allowing them the 'privilege' of getting aneducation, having a successful career, being financially independent, or livingon her own as an unmarried woman, but are actually stripping a woman's agency.
The data also revealed that 90 per cent men and 77 per centwomen said they would not like to change their name after marriage. Asked ifwomen should continue to work full time after marriage, more men (62 per cent)than women (50 per cent) said they believe it is a woman's choice.
To another question on women's domestic roles aftermarriage, and if they should be responsible for running the household andraising children, almost 9 out of 10 users - but less men than women - thinkthat the responsibility of running the home and raising children should besplit equally between partners.