The modern girl's manifesto

It's 2014 and some people still seem to be stuck in the Middle Ages as far as mental attitudes towards women and girls are concerned. To facilitate their smooth teleportation into the current day and age so that they are not blinded by the contrast from their own mental timeline when they reach 2014 from 32 B.C., I hereby declare a girl manifesto to re-inform them lest they be in  unfortunate possession of seriously twisted ideas of gender roles. And in this Time- Spaceship we will carry several of our Indian brethren too. Men and women alike. Happy journey to all aboard!

1. I exist! I have a spoiler alert! In your old time and age you may have been used to the silence of women. I have to inform you that it was only an unfortunate rip in the fabric of Time. It did rewind our collective progress by several ages. But we the women of today have now taken it upon ourselves to correct that time warp. So in your new journey be ready for women leaders. We will charge from the front and rewrite history.
2. I am the Queen. I rule the Kingdom of my aliveness. I decide everything. What I do and what I don't want to do are simply unencroachable rights and terms of sharing my space.
3. My body is my right. In this era , we own exclusive rights over our bodies and our affections. It's our decision who we want to marry. It's solely our decision as to whether we are ready for it.  There are other decisions we may take with our spouses and better halves or by and for our own benefit. It's not for the society to decide for us and it's not for anyone else to lay it down for us. In case it didn't register, read rule no 2 again. Repeat till u get it.
4. Drinking doesn't make me loose. I may enjoy drinks. I may like to get high and lose control. But that is in the company I choose. I am not asking for your unwanted advances. I am not asking for rape.
5. My power dresses. I own power dresses and I wear them everyday. They reflect my power of choice. My moods, my interests. It's not for you to comment on what I chose to wear. Because my choices are not subject to your judgements. And if in your sad view my clothes excite your sick fantasies, let me fix you an appoinment with some corrective psychaitric help.
6. Sehenshakti. I have chosen this word so that you can connect and solely for the lack of a more comprehensive and all encompassing word that defines the assumaptions many men have about women and unfortunately some women have about women in general that women can tolerate anything and in their stoic silence lies the secret of domestic bliss. I have to declare that such notions do not belong to our era. It's a useless burden from the past. So while it is true that women are indeed mentally strong, they don't take shit from anyone anymore.
7. Loud mouthed, man befriending bitches? Yeah whatever! I know what you think of women who have guy friends. But lose that attitude in your mental abyss before you hope to be a part of our age and generation. Women of today do not accept and live by your laggard thinking. The sooner you adjust with us, the better it is. Remember old trees that do not bend get uprooted in the winds of change.
8. Make-up is only a bonus!  Brethren! Queen Cleopatra is our favorite style goddess. She was majestically beautiful and ruled a great  empire on the strength of her strategic mind. No need to say you need to remove your blinders and see beyond external beauty. C'mon you don't have to be so superficial!
9. Women will hold important jobs. It's not what you are used to. Women will hold positions across the spectrum of daily life. Not because their spouses do not earn. But because they are on the planet with a purpose. To actualise themselves and use up their potential. So you will see a lot more doctors, engineers, authors, journalists and soldiers to name only a few, who will be women.
10. There shall be Peace. Unlike women of yesteryears, women of our age will not suffer in silence. They will speak out, they will stand up and they will stand for the causes that demand their courageous voice. There will a new world order. We shall not be scared to leave behind what does not serve us and add to our growth and life. There shall be progress and there shall be peace! Just like there is when a more benign leader steps up the platform and uses power with grace.

Divya Ratan