It's a widely held misconception that women always get preference and reservations, which makes their lives simpler than those of males. People often say that women get seats in buses or trains, jobs, and salaries more easily than men, and they receive preferential treatment in long queues. However, this perception is far from the truth.

In the real world, women frequently experience neglect and do not receive the respect and attention they deserve. Here are some examples from my own experience as well as a recent event that my friend and I went through.
I once gave up my bus seat to a woman who was carrying a baby. I figured her spouse would see my gesture and give me a seat when one freed up. Rather of taking into account that I had given up my seat for his wife, he took mine. I stood for the remainder of the trip after this occurrence.

Another instance was during Raksha Bandhan, a festival we Indians celebrate to honor the bond between brothers and sisters. On that day, the bus was extremely crowded, and I had to stand for three hours straight, traveling as a lone girl. No man offered me a seat, even for a minute.

One more example of this supposed "priority" is when I was carrying three heavy luggage bags. Despite struggling with the weight, no one offered to help me carry them to the taxi.

Just yesterday, my friend and I went to the post office to send her luggage. Each bag weighed around 14 kilograms. We struggled to carry them and waited in line for an hour, only for the rude officer to tell us that our luggage needed to be in a specific box. He could have informed us earlier but chose to let us wait. We had to spend a lot of money to repack and carry them again. When we finally returned, he made us wait in line once more. When our turn came, he declared it was lunchtime and told us to come back later. No man in the queue offered to stand for us or help.

These experiences highlight the reality that women do not receive the supposed priority or advantages people talk about. Instead, we often face neglect and struggle without the support or consideration that many assume we get. It’s high time we recognize and address these misconceptions to create a more equitable society for everyone.

Thanks for reading this !