Fear of Exploitation in Females

Fear of Exploitation in Females..! There are only few basic emotions, and fear is one of them. Fear is induced by perceived danger which causes change in the behavior. Various biological and psycho-social factors govern the onset, frequency and extent of fear perception.

You may like this The Breast Giver- A tribute to Mahashweta Devi
Because of the physical makeup and socio-cultural setup, the fairer sex has been nurtured in a more protected and secluded environment. This protection in itself has sowed the seeds of persistent undue fear and a state of anxiety of exploitation in the female gender. The ladies learn to remain in a constant state of alertness, consciously or sub-consciously, to avoid any chance of getting exploited by anyone. Such state of alertness to avoid exploitation is found to be comparatively lower in the men of the same socio-cultural background because of obvious reasons.

This continued alertness to avoid exploitation gradually gets magnified depending upon the extent of threat perception. The individual compares every stimulus upon her parameters of exploitation quotient. If the individual has been reared in a more insecure and anxiety provoking environment, she will attach greater number of stimulus to her criteria of threat perception and react in a prepared fashion to minimize her exploitation.

This strategy to counter exploitation gradually takes the shape of aggression. Not a strange thing is that we find a number of females in a persistent aggressive state, even in normal domestic setups where such a threat of exploitation is comparatively lower. Defense strategies are employed in response to neutral stimulus so as to publicise one’s preparedness to counter any violation of personal space- physical, social, emotional or financial.

The maternal instinct to protect the offspring further boosts this state of alertness and preparedness. The violence and exploitation of the fairer sex over the past centuries are the culprits to be blamed for this undesired disturbance in the stills of the blue eyes.