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Every human being is half man and half woman: Kalki Koechlin

Bollywood star Kalki Koechlin, widely known for her bold stances on feminism, commitment towards women’s rights and gender equality  believes that it is not just important but also necessary for women to speak up for their rights and what they deserve.

The bold, fiery and feisty Kalki Koechlin, while presenting a Theatrical Monologue on ‘Womanhood’ organised by Young FICCI Ladies Organisation (YFLO), Delhi chapter said, “It is obvious for me or anyone to speak up on various issues related with womanhood. It is about women’s safety, rights and their lives. Even today, it is difficult for women to go out in the night or get paid equally as a man for that matter. There are hundreds of reasons for us to voice. For me, it is outright important, as I am a woman and I feel as human as a man.”

“I always remind myself that I am a woman, so that I don’t try to become a man in a quest to compete with him. Dear women, embrace what you have been endowed with. Every human being is half man and half woman. No gender is fairer than the other. Everyone is a feminist. If you are not a feminist you are a bad human being. Being a feminist means asking for equality. But people take it in other way at times. For women it is hard to breathe even when you are being stared at by men folk, some time you are guilty for breathing,” said Kalki Koechlin, actor and screenwriter.

“Feminism is a really crazy idea that suggests men and women are equal. Women are not a doormat. We are equivalent to men. It’s just that we have different bodies and different biological needs. We have capacities which should be celebrated and rewarded in the society.” She added. “I have always been vocal about women rights and feminism. It is only now that I am famous, people notice me and hear what I have to say. Even before my first movie Dev D happened, I was a part of The Skeleton Woman, a play based on the book ‘Women Who Run With the Wolves’. It has a feminist premise. I have always picked work that reflects my ideologies.”

“The paternity law needs to be chalked out and implemented. This will allow men to spend more time at home, in turn, women can go out and work or spend time for themselves. Secondly, the law has to recognise marital rape as an offence,” said the bold and multi talented Kalki.

Talking about her childhood abuse the actress deems that it is imperative to speak up on such issues as the victim feels very lonely. She said, “People feel very lonely when they do not talk about it. And, that’s what made me talk about it. But, I also realised the repercussions of it. When a celebrity speaks about certain kind of issues, it is publicized in a really big way.”

“My ideology of womanhood literally sums up everything that a female being lives by. For her, womanhood is about dealing with periods, giving birth, menstrual cycle, hormones, ambitions, depression, frustration and so many things. My next movie titled Ribbon is on motherhood, I am getting training to handle 18 day old kid- how to breast feed him etc,” Kalki laughed during her theatrical monologue. 

“Kalki Koechlin represents a true woman in every sense. The multi-talented actress breathes life into every character she plays. The Margarita With A Straw star has been heard on several occasions and her voice has always favoured the essence of womanhood. Right from raising the issue of menstruation to equal pay for actresses, Kalki isn’t someone who keeps her views in the closet,” said Trupti Gupta, Chairperson Young FICCI Ladies Organsiation (YFLO ) while speaking on the occasion.

“Advancing women rights, building women’s leadership and investing in this movement are the key enablers of change. Every initiative, project or event undertaken by YFLO is driven by the goal of creating more just and sustainable environment for women,” said Gupta.
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