A decade ago, a particular piece of news had grabbed headlines which demanded everyone’s attention – India has the second largest number of female smokers in the world, after the US. And recently, there have been reports of a “rising trend” of women smoking in major Indian cities, like Hyderabad. For example, an outlet named M9 News published a report whose headline read, “Rising Trend of Women Smoking in Hyderabad.”
The report claimed that there is a “significant rise in women joining the workforce, seeking independence, and upgrading their lifestyle” and as a result of this, the number of female smokers has also risen. It claimed that in Hyderabad, popular hubs like Madhapur and Gachibowli saw young women smoking in public during office breaks and “indulging” in this habit while travelling via cabs and autorickshaws.
Rising Trend of Women Smoking in Hyderabad
In popular Hyderabad hubs like Madhapur or Gachibowli, it’s becoming increasingly common to spot young women smoking in public areas or during office breaks.
— M9 NEWS (@M9News_) May 29, 2024
However, the report has been grabbing negative attention from people online. There have been many who are taking digs at ‘gender equality’, claiming that women want gender equality and hence, they are smoking as rampantly as men. There is a larger question at play here – smoking is harmful to everyone, so why are women being singled out?
It’s almost as though our society’s inherent sexism oozes out while reading and writing reports such as this one. Unlike men, women’s ‘characters’ are questioned if they are caught smoking. They are morally policed. Male smokers are condemned from more of a health perspective. Female smokers are condemned from more of a moral perspective.
Respectable women don’t smoke. A woman who smokes is a bad woman.
We have all heard this before.
This was what was pointed out by certain people online who found this headline particularly sexist. Here’s what they had to say:
so what’s WRONG!! if its bad… bad for all why just women and why its a news!!??
— satya pamula (@satyapamula) May 29, 2024
Theres one lady who comes to our cafe , she dresses amazing (cotton dress with iron, duppata) long hair , fair skin, her eyes wow.
Buys Connect cigarate pack, she completes half of the cigarette pack and remaining she gives it to her boyfriend and she go to office pic.twitter.com/W32cA05UWR
— Naveen (@NaveenonX) May 29, 2024
And here I thought smoking was bad for everyone
— suguru’s. (@darklymadly) May 31, 2024
Does this mean men are immune to smoking?
— GS (@naamjanoge) May 31, 2024
https://t.co/LmWHjuh9Ad pic.twitter.com/nRsbZzKGEj
— َ (@queef1ng) May 30, 2024
Sir it’s the industrial complex. Everyone smokes there during lunch breaks. No need for this selective criticism https://t.co/UVNEfBxepR
— sndy (@_sanidhyavijay_) May 31, 2024
If one wants to condemn smoking, condemn all without singling out women and taking a dig at their freedom.