“Women are judged on the basis of how they dress and speak,” says Anupria Goenka

By: Mohnish Singh

Aside from delivering stellar performances in several successful films and streaming shows, actress Anupria Goenka is also known for voicing her opinion on issues pertaining to gender equality and women empowerment.

In 2020, Goenka starred in Hotstar Specials’ streaming show Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors, which sheds light on grave issues like domestic abuse and marital rape. The actress looks at telling stories that can start a dialogue as her responsibility as an artist.

Talking about the same, she says, “Through my work, I want to highlight the issues that continue to affect women even today. In Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors, I played a lawyer where I am dealing with the shadow pandemic of domestic abuse and violence. The Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown saw a dramatic rise in these cases. Domestic abuse is still a very hush-hush issue. No one talks about it because it happens behind closed doors.”

On International Women’s Day, Anupria wishes that all families teach their young boys to respect women and see them as equals. “It is quite ironical that at a time when we have women at power positions, many of us are still denied our basic rights and equal opportunity is still a myth which is why pay disparity continues to be a burning issue,” she says, adding, “What bothers me is that women are judged on the basis of how they dress and how they speak, be it in personal or professional circles. If we don’t adhere to society’s definition of morality, we are called all sorts of names and are accused of sending out signals to invite men.”

The actor urges everyone to do their bit in spreading awareness and do their bit in creating a society that gives respect and opportunity to both men and women. “I have begun creating awareness on my social media where I share mine and other women’s personal experiences related to gender discrimination. I want to be instrumental in bringing about a shift in people’s mindsets. Whenever the small outfits run by women approach me to promote their work, I do my bit to encourage women’s agency and spirit.”