Recently, Indian skipper Virat Kohli and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma made the happy announcement of baby Virushka’s arrival in their family on Thursday. They posted a photo on social media with the caption “And then, we were three! Arriving Jan 2021,”
While many on the internet congratulated the couple, there were many who initiated a much-needed conversation about gender roles. These netizens tweeted about the way Kohli would have been treated while announcing the news of his pregnancy, had he been a woman.
These sexist questions are just a reminder of our society’s patriarchal thought process and how we tend to treat new moms unfairly.
Is Virat Kohli going to continue his cricketing career after fatherhood? How will he balance a sporting career with family?
— Star Wars: AnuHope (@anumccartney) August 27, 2020
Can Virat handle the captaincy once he’s a father? Will he be able to focus on the job? Career ending move, this.
— Sivakami Sivakumar (@kamicrelief) August 27, 2020
Can Virat handle the captaincy once he’s a father? Will he be able to focus on the job? Career ending move, this.
— Sivakami Sivakumar (@kamicrelief) August 27, 2020
I mean if Anushka “allows” him to work!
— Shivangi (@ChoubeyShivangi) August 27, 2020
An underslept irritable Virat will be a source of workplace toxicity, a bad influence to have around work colleague. That is when he returns after a year and a half long paternity leave. It’s best to let him go.
— The Rupee Room ❼ (@VikramBarhat) August 27, 2020
He should take a break till his children are ready?
— Pooja ???????????? (@Pjverma) August 27, 2020
Some Kohli fans and followers of toxic masculinity seemed to miss the point of the tweets. These tweets were pointing out the inequality with which male and female professionals – especially sportspersons – are treated with when announcing their pregnancy.
Women in sports face a tough time after embarking on the journey of motherhood. Women athletes across the world face a tough time choosing between their careers, sponsorships, and choosing a family. It is heartbreaking how for many women athletes, a pregnancy usually means an end to one’s career. For those who choose to return, the pressure to perform is intense.
But sadly, it isn’t just true for women in sports. It is disappointing how women across different fields have to compromise on their professional dreams. Childbirth is treated as a woman’s job alone making motherhood a roadblock to women’s careers. It is high time that women shouldn’t be penalized for embarking on the journey of motherhood. Raising kids is not only a woman’s job. Rather, it should be a joint effort of husband and wife!
At IFORHER, we congratulate Anushka and Virat and hope they will inspire many to bring equality to parenting!