A woman principal of a Mumbai college was quoted in a report saying that the women suffer from polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) when they 'dress like men'. She explained that the medical condition is a result of a 'gender reversal' in the said women's heads, which reduces their urge to reproduce. Who knew ovarian cysts could have such an intriguing back story?
This is what principal Swati Deshpande of the Government Polytechnic College in Bandra had to say about how women should dress in college:
"I have heard theories on why girls suffer from PCOD (Poly Cystic Ovarian Disease) at an early age. When they dress like men, they start thinking or behaving like them. There is a gender role reversal in their head. Due to this, the natural urge to reproduce diminishes right from a young age and therefore they suffer from problems like PCODs."
The TOIreport, understandably, enraged more than just a handful of women. Most of them took to social media to object to this ludicrous claim and patriarchal definitions of femininity.
This in megacity Mumbai.'Female students to wear suitable clothes to ensure tht they dnt start thinking like men&nt lose urge to reproduce pic.twitter.com/jyILpJVtnf
— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) February 7, 2017
The news spread like wildfire on the micro-blogging site and led to the creation of the hashtag #DressLikeAnIndianWoman. Several women -- who unlike that college professor know how ovaries work -- started sharing pictures to define what dressing like an Indian woman could mean. And that womanhood cannot be defined by what a person wears. Here are some tweets that will make your day:
#DressLikeAnIndianWoman@genesiaalves My wonderful #sisterhood, tag your photos in this thread. pic.twitter.com/v1I8XIQNvA
— Rituparna Chatterjee (@MasalaBai) February 7, 2017
@MasalaBai#DressLikeAnIndianWomanpic.twitter.com/YuQEprdkjK
— प्राचीन (@Womaniya) February 7, 2017
@MasalaBai Thanks for starting this, I read that awful story. #DressLikeAnIndianWoman -- wear whatever pleases you. @genesiaalvespic.twitter.com/cIg775D3Xd
— Nilanjana Roy (@nilanjanaroy) February 7, 2017
@MasalaBai@genesiaalves here you go. pic.twitter.com/sEv0tO6mup
— Sanghamitra C (@thesanghamitra) February 7, 2017
#dresslikeanindianwomanpic.twitter.com/71f0cC1eGl
— ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (@karishmau) February 7, 2017
#dresslikeanindianwomanpic.twitter.com/rcSkHw5Btc
— BookOfGenesia (@genesiaalves) February 7, 2017
@MasalaBai Is it okay to add other women's pictures? If so, here's a great one of Lata Bhagwan Kare, the runner. @genesiaalvespic.twitter.com/UlKsmxqzEn
— Nilanjana Roy (@nilanjanaroy) February 7, 2017
.@genesiaalves 1st women's contingent of the Assam rifles. One way to #dresslikeindianwomenpic.twitter.com/tnVlwkna8q
— Supriya Unni Nair (@SupriyaUnniNair) February 7, 2017
Indian soldier#DressLikeAWomanpic.twitter.com/6PRd4NGLmX
— Harini Calamur (@calamur) February 7, 2017
Take back your public spaces. Roll on the grass. Wear what you like. Live your freedom. #DressLikeAnIndianWomanpic.twitter.com/Km79kQRHZ5
— MAK (@mentalexotica) February 7, 2017
@genesiaalves am I doing this right? #dresslikeanindianwomanpic.twitter.com/R7uxWkKYPv
— Radhika (@Nomnombiar) February 7, 2017
#dresslikeanIndianwoman@genesiaalves imma gonna have so much fun today pic.twitter.com/SqhPluDq44
— Minol (@MinolAjekar) February 7, 2017
The Rani of Jhansi regiment of the INA pic.twitter.com/TtU10NIPLZ
— Kiran Manral. (@KiranManral) February 7, 2017
#DressLikeAnIndianWomanpic.twitter.com/EWhmoDLMwT
— Vaidehi Murthy (@ButVai) February 7, 2017
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