Mother’s Day Special: 5 mothers share why they HATE the ‘SUPERWOMAN’ tag

Is tagging women as superwomen a boon or a bane? A few mothers spoke their hearts out.
separation anxiety for kids and new mothers
Separation anxiety is something all mothers and babies face. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Nikita Bhardwaj Published: 8 May 2022, 08:55 am IST
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In a Health Shots interview, writer-director Tahira Kashyap Khurrana said that she doesn’t want to be tagged as a superwoman. Why? Well, as per her, it puts a lot of pressure on women, especially working mothers to outperform every time. That’s why this Mother’s Day, we talked to a few women and asked them about their opinion on people tagging them as a “SUPERWOMAN”. Come let’s read what they have to say.

Anshula Goswami, 32

Oh my god! I mean really, I would never ever want to be called out a superwoman, please. As Spiderman said, with great power comes great responsibilitY. We mothers are already swamped with so much work that I don’t even see the scope of multi-tasking. Once in a while I can still understand it, but calling us superwomen and then expecting that we just keep on slogging ourselves is a little inhuman, I feel. It’s better if we are treated like normal human beings first rather than putting us on a pedestal where we feel pressured rather than honoured.

mother's day
Mothers, if you need a break, take it! Image courtesy: Shutterstock

Rupsha, 28

I think it’s a great trick to put more pressure on us. Earlier, people used to compare us to Goddesses, but that I don’t think has helped in any way. Plus, nowadays we women are doing many things that there is hardly any time left for ourselves, especially with kids as they demand your undivided attention. Also, personally, I think it is unfair because it is not just mentally daunting but it is physically tiring as well. And it is so not worth it!

Also, read: A guide for mothers to celebrate themselves on Mother’s day, and otherwise

Namita, 31

I don’t mind if someone calls me a superwoman because it’s a fact. I work day in and day out to ensure that my, as well as my family’s life, is right on track. It’s not an easy job to manage personal and professional life and doing everything with utmost dedication makes it all the more challenging. And I think if someone is crowning me as a “superwoman”, I will definitely not mind it because I’m worth that title. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea to match that level.

mother's day
Work-life balance for women was a casualty of the covid-19 pandemic. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

Manisha, 36

I feel that calling a woman a superwoman is a marketing stunt to make us feel special. But instead, we are just burdened with all those expectations. I would like to share an incident. I remember there was some task at my workplace where I had to dedicate some extra hours. I thought once in a blue moon I can definitely stretch for the sake of my career. After the success of that task, everyone in my office started calling me a superwoman. I enjoyed it initially, but then it struck me that my colleagues were taking it for granted. So what happened was whenever there was an occasion when someone needed to stretch at work, my name used to pop up as it was assumed that being a ‘superwoman’, I would have no problem repeating what I have done. I was amazed that no one feels the need to check with me whether I was okay or not.

And then when it comes home, the situation is no different because till today, the men in the house are the ultimate breadwinners. I have to come back home and take care of my kids, and it was again for granted that I have to do it. There is always the thought that you are a multi-tasker, so it’s no biggie for you. That was the moment I realized that this is just a gimmick to put you in a spot and nothing else and that’s why I feel it’s a sham.

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Vasundhra, 35

Frankly, it depends when someone is calling you a superwoman. If someone addresses me by that title, I won’t mind it. Having said that, there is undue pressure – accept it or not. At least I feel a little pressurized to be or perform better than what I did the last time without thinking whether I am there physically and mentally to do it. Also, as I’m a mother of two, it is also expected of me to be perfect all the time, especially for my family and kids. No one pays heed that a superwoman has some actual superpowers to make things happen. But we are as human as someone else. We also have 24 hours In a day, and we also get drained out. There is no fun in calling a woman a superwoman for the heck of it.

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Six-pack abs are all that Nikita needs, along with her daily dose of green tea. At Health Shots, she produces videos, podcasts, stories, and other kick-ass content. ...Read More

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