Navya Nanda Talks About Facing Mansplaining And Being Constantly Undermined In A Male-Dominated Industry.
I have said this a thousand times and I will say it a thousand more. Women, in any profession, are treated unfairly. From glass ceilings to gender-biased wage differences, women have to work twice as hard as men to prove their worth and to earn a seat at the table. Patriarchal norms have ensured that all professions are traditionally male-dominated. Hence, it stands to reason that women are constantly undermined. It’s extremely frustrating that we have to fight and hustle every single opportunity while men just have to simply show up. This is precisely what Navya Naveli Nanda spoke about during a recent Instagram live session. Her’s is a message everyone needs to pay attention to.
Navya Naveli Nanda hails from a very illustrious family. She is the granddaughter of Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan. Instead of following their footsteps though, she chose to pursue a career in the healthcare sector. Navya is the co-founder of Aara Health, an online platform for women to discuss health issues. It’s because of platforms like hers that so many women’s health issues are getting destigmatized. However, in a recent Instagram Live session with the other three founders of Aara Health, Navya talked about being continuously undermined for being a woman in a male-dominated profession.
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Also Read: Navya Naveli Opens Up About Her Struggle With Anxiety And Urges People To Seek Help When Needed. It’s All Of Us Right Now
Navya Naveli Nanda said, “When you are meeting new people for work and talking to them, there is always that…not worry of what they are going to think of you but more internal, where I feel like, ‘Oh, we need to prove ourselves.’ Especially because in the space that we are in, it is largely dominated by men.” Further adding, “So whenever we are put in the spotlight, talking to a vendor or a doctor… All of us have been in situations where we are talking to somebody, most likely a man, who is mansplaining and talking to us in a very condescending manner.”
We can all relate to her, can’t we? Women have to put in twice the work to be taken seriously. And often, men, knowingly or unknowingly, tend to speak to us a very condescending manner. Mansplaining even the smallest concepts. It’s sexist and frustrating. Navya went on to talk about how being constantly underestimated leads to women having to prove their mettle at every step.
Navya Naveli Nanda said, “It is those situations where you feel like you need to prove yourself and you don’t necessarily do because it is just stupid. But we have all been in those situations and I think that is where the anxiety comes from, which is, ‘Why is this person talking to me like I am stupid?’ That is where I feel like, ‘Okay, I need to prove myself.’ I need to make that impression in the beginning that I know what I am talking about and I don’t need you to explain every single thing to me and talk to me in a condescending manner.”
These are the issues that women across all professions are currently facing. I am just so glad that young entrepreneurial women like Navya Naveli Nanda are taking up such issues and talking about them. Hopefully, there will be a day where all professions will achieve gender-equality.
https://thehauterfly.com/lifestyle/navya-naveli-nanda-starts-her-own-platform-catering-to-womens-health-it-sounds-promising/
