A woman principal in a college in Mumbai has been quoted as saying that polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS, a common disease in women caused by hormonal imbalance, happens when they dress like men as it causes gender reversals in their minds and lessens their urge to reproduce.
“I have heard theories on why girls suffer from PCOD (Poly Cystic Ovarian Disease) at an early age. When they dress like men, they start thinking or behaving like them. There is a gender role reversal in their head. Due to this, the natural urge to reproduce diminishes right from a young age and therefore they suffer from problems like PCODs,” said Principal Swati Deshpande of the Government Polytechnic College in Bandra.
Deshpande’s remarks are upsetting not just because she is attempting to lessen women, who’ve come to her college for an education, but also as she speaks from a platform that has a vast potential for influence.
Currently, the women of the college wear the same uniform as the men including a white shirt paired with black trousers. But if Deshpande, a backer of the so-called “feminine” has her way, that will soon change. Incidentally, the college canteen has already two notices, separating seats for men and women.
A report in TOI quoted her as saying that the separation was well-intended as some women students have allegedly complained of harassment from former students. But how separating seats in the same canteen can avoid trouble and curb the problem is uncertain.
A student told the paper that they’ve also been asked to “tie plaits” and not tuck their shirts in.
