Rihanna's Inspiring Performance With Baby Bump, But Women Still Need Maternity Leave

Do you know what is society’s biggest problem with women? It can’t see them flourish. It might sound rude but it is what it is. If society sees one woman flourishing, it makes sure to pull down others. I am not bluffing. Rihanna announced pregnancy during a show and society boiled up and said ‘Who  said women need maternity leave?’

Hollywood singer Rihanna announced pregnancy while performing at the Super Bowl. This will be her second baby. It was great to see Rihanna performing with a baby bump. She shattered the stereotype that women performers should look a certain way. Or that a pregnant woman is not fit for work.

I came across another post today on LinkedIn in which a woman mentioned how she chose to work till the last week of her pregnancy. She was proud of her choice.

Moreover, we often come across news in which mothers are praised for coming back to work immediately after pregnancy. For example, recently, Saroj Ahire, a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) attended the Maharashtra Assembly with her newborn baby in hand. She garnered a lot of praise.

But, she did not propel the idea that maternity leave is of no use to women. Neither did Rihanna.

However, today morning I came across a Twitter post that said, “Rihanna proving women do not need maternity leave.” The post was disturbing as it pointed out depriving women of their right to maternity leave.

The post, I am sure, is not isolated. Many people think that maternity leave is just an excuse for women to not work. In older times, pregnant women used to work till the last day of their pregnancy. Even today, many women in the marginalised section do not take any rest or nutrition during their pregnancy. But this is because they lack support, facilities and education to reclaim their rights. Often family members expect women to work despite the fact that they are carrying a child.

Rihanna Performs With Baby Bump And Society Rubbishes Maternity Leave

I am not saying that Rihanna or other women who showed up for work despite carrying a child are not aware of their rights. They very well are. But it is their choice to not avail of it. And choice and enforcement are two different things. A woman can choose to ignore some rights but she cannot be forced to do the same.

Moreover, it is just not right to homogenise the identity of women by judging every woman under the same umbrella. Every woman is different, and so are their bodies, coping mechanisms and choices.

If one woman doesn’t experience pain during periods, it doesn’t mean no one does or that menstrual leave is not necessary. If one woman doesn’t feel uncomfortable working during pregnancy, doesn’t mean every woman should seek inspiration from them. It should be a woman’s choice to work or not. It is a women’s different bodily mechanisms that help them make different choices. Rather than idolising them, we should appreciate their freedom to make different choices.

We need to understand that every woman is different and so are their choices. We cannot consider one woman as an example to judge every other woman on the earth.

Every woman has the right to claim her legal rights. Nothing but an informed choice can make a woman ignore some of her rights. I am repeating this again and again because in our society women seeking their rights is so limited that the legal rights provided by society just rot in the pages of the Constitution. Women are usually not allowed to seek their rights. And on top of this, if women are compared with others who do not need certain rights, access to these rights will become even more limited. For example, if a woman knows self-defence and can protect herself efficiently, does it mean no woman requires the laws of safety and justice against sexual harassment? No right?

So stop putting women on similar pedestals. Just like we have different sizes of fingers, every woman is different. A woman might not access one right but it is every woman's right to have the freedom to avail every right whenever she wants. Rights are not marketing gimmicks which expire if people do not use them. Every right should be at a woman’s disposal. Whether she avails it or not, is her choice.

Suggested Reading: Should We Idolise Women For Giving Up Their Maternity Leave?