A video posted online by Blush has women asking why we attach gender prefixes to certain professions
A profession has no gender, so why do we insist on using terms like "lady driver," "female filmmaker," "rapper chick" and "female bodybuilder?" That's the question women are asking in a video produced by Blush. As Blush notes, prefixing a gender to a vocation is often done when the professions being discussed are typically associated with men. So while you would never refer to a man who happens to be a doctor as a "male doctor," you often hear people refer to a woman who is a doctor as a "lady doctor." Similarly, a "woman CEO," a "woman coach," or a "female bartender."
"It's always a question around the female - how is it being a female inside the bar" says Ami Shroff, one of the women featured in the video, who is a noted flair bartender and mixologist.
Sofia Ashraf, a popular rapper and activist from Tamil Nadu, laughs at what she is sometimes called, "A 'femcee' is a female emcee. I sound like I'm some contraceptive pill or something."
The 2-minute clip, set to a catchy Tamil song, shows how women reclaim titles for themselves - sending the message that a skill, passion, job or profession have no gender.
You can watch the full video here:
The video, posted on Blush's social media platforms on Wednesday, has close to 10,000 views so far.
Blush notes that this video is the first in its #KaamSeMatlabRakh (focus on the work) campaign for gender equality, and promises plenty more success stories of powerhouse women.