We have witnessed so much of churning with respect to women, feminist movements, women’s liberation movement, #metoo movements, moving away from ‘biology decides destiny’ to choosing one’s gender on the masculinity and femininity spectrum and then to infinite genders and becoming ‘maternal organisms, birthing persons’ and what not.
But despite all this the psychology of women is still in its nascent stage. ‘What do women really want’. On Women’s Day let us attempt to answer this ambitious question even though, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. However, there are some generalizations that can be made about the psychology of women, based on research and studies.
Here are some common desires, needs, and traits that are often associated with women:
1. Emotional Connection: Women tend to value emotional connection, intimacy, and communication in their relationships. They want to feel understood, heard, and supported by their partners, friends, and family members.Many women prioritize emotional intimacy and closeness in their relationships. The way they feel heard, understood, and supported is through emotional communication and expressions.
2. Autonomy: Women want to have a sense of control over their lives and decisions, and to be respected for their choices and abilities. They want to be seen as capable and independent.Women want to have control over their own lives, including their decisions about work, family, and personal goals. They want to be able to pursue their interests and passions without feeling limited by traditional gender roles or societal expectations.
3. Safety and Security: Women have a natural instinct to protect themselves and their loved ones, so they often seek out environments and relationships where they feel safe and secure.Women want to feel safe and secure in all aspects of their lives, including physical, emotional, and financial security. They want to be able to trust their partners and feel confident that they can provide for themselves and their families.
4. Self-Improvement: Women are often motivated to grow and improve themselves, whether it’s through education, career, personal development, or other pursuits.
5. Empathy and Compassion: Women tend to be more empathetic and nurturing than men and may prioritize relationships and social connections over other goals or achievements.
6. Equality and Fairness: Women want to be treated fairly and equally in all aspects of life, including in the workplace, politics, and society at large.
7. Respect: Women want to be respected for their opinions, ideas, and accomplishments. They want to be valued for their intelligence, skills, and contributions to society, and not just judged based on their appearance or gender.
8. Fulfillment: Many women seek personal fulfillment through meaningful work, creative pursuits, and connections with others. They want to feel a sense of purpose and meaning in their lives beyond traditional gender roles or societal expectations.
And what women want from their partners are just two small things –
1. Relational Sensitivity: which means women want their partner to show kindness, patience, understanding, empathy, and compassion. Recognize that a partner’s trials and tribulations matter to her, and that partners’ roles are to cherish and care for and about one another. They want the partner to be their friend. They want the partner to be emotionally mature and sensitive to what she feels and not expect her to keep proving herself and living up to cultural biases.
2. Moral Integrity: which means a Mutual respect is an all-or-nothing proposition. This includes open communication, honesty trust and trustworthiness and taking responsibility for actions and behaviours.
Dr Chavi Bhargava Sharma is the founder and CEO of Indic Center for Psychological Wellness and Holistic Health and Conversationalists-Talking Cures.