The Hidden Struggle - Hari Priyaa M

In our society, there is a proud saying, “Behind every man there is a woman who supports his success”. But only that woman knows what she is going through.

She plays many roles as a mother, sister, wife, leader, employee,  housewife,  and so on, and she is flawless in doing it. She moves around the house as if she has multiple hands and legs, taking care of everyone in the family. In the workplace, after every person pulls her legs down, she struggles, fights and tries to prove herself and proves her worth many times to get recognition.

We talk about physical violence and sexual harassment both in her trusted place and also in her workplace. But we often fail to ask an equally important question: Is she mentally strong? Is she emotionally supported? Mental health struggles among women are real and rising.

Mental health struggles like anxiety, depression, burnout, and exhaustion are actually becoming silent companions of a woman nowadays.  

She even tries to get out of the situation and pull herself up to bounce back again. It is helpful sometimes, but she fails most of the time. Because whenever a woman suffers from mental struggle, society stigmatises her as overacting, overreacting and considered to have mood swings; in reality, she actually needs help.

 And surprisingly, many women don’t speak this out loud; they suffer internally. The mental health crisis among women is not merely a personal issue; it is a social justice concern. When women’s mental well-being is neglected, families, communities, and nations suffer. Recognising, respecting, and responding to women’s mental health needs is not optional. It is essential for building a compassionate and equitable society.

Only when we listen without judgment and support without stigma can the hidden struggle finally come into the light.

 Myself having a background in legal studies, have always wondered why there is a lag in creating laws that support not just women but everyone, for that matter, regarding mental suffering. I have actually thought many times that strict penal punishments are necessary even after the current ones proposed here and there.

Let us unite, manifest and work for the legal touch to glorify without any lag.

By

Hari Priyaa M,

Assistant Professor of Law,

Erode College of Law.