Working women across the world faces discrimination on the basis of their pregnancy in the corporate world. They are often asked to go on forced leave and many are sometimes made to quit too.
A movie called ‘The Calling’ does well to highlight some issues related to pregnancy and corporate attitude towards it. The movie has almost become a rage with thousands of shares in Social media. In the movie, Radhika Apte, the protagonist, after having confronting her boss over her attitude towards her pregnancy, quits the job, to start on her own. Her boss, requests her to stay back but she is determined. The movie, fundamentally shot for a clothing line, ends with a saying Bold is beautiful.
The movie, I must say, does well to highlight the issue. However, the movie is inherently problematic.
It individualizes the issue of discrimination based on pregnancy and shows the ability to quit the job as Boldness. However, it does not reflect the needs of many, who are not in a position to quit and start on their own. What about many millions, who are forced to quit or do not have maternity benefits. I am sure my union background comes into view, in my analysis of the movie. However, this movie could have done a lot better, had it been able to highlight the issue on a holistic level, rather than individualizing the problem.
Highlighting it as a women issue and fighting against it together, for better maternity benefits, non discriminatory attitude is Boldness.