At the 2013 Cannes Film Festival back in May, Indian actress Mallika Sherawat told Variety that "India is a hypocritical society where women are really at the bottom of society, compared to men." She also told the interviewer she has made a conscious decision to split her time between Los Angeles and India, because, "I enjoy the social freedom in America and to go back to India, which is so regressive for women, it's depressing. As an independent woman, it's really depressing."
While little remarked on by U.S. media, Sherawat's comments garnered a lot of coverage in the Indian press, with opinion pieces both questioning and supporting her statements.
A few weeks ago, Sherawat attended a press conference for the launch of the TV series Bachelorette India (it's just like the American version of The Bachelorette), of which she is the star. There, a reporter asked her about her statements point blank, implying that speaking about these issues to foreign press might be inappropriate and embarrass her country. Sherawat very intelligently explained her point of view, sharing that high numbers of female infanticide and gang rapes as well as a high percentage of women marrying under the age of 18 made India feel regressive for women. Watch for yourself.
We know that many countries (including the U.S.) still have a long way to go when it comes to equality for all women, and we applaud anyone who knows the issues and is willing to bravely speak out about them. Thanks for the inspiration, Mallika!
