Adornments like the chains around a woman’s neck, the bracelet on her wrist, anklets, rings on her fingers, toe rings, nose rings are worn with pride as symbols of femininity. An entire industry revolves around their need to possess jewelry in gold and silver; all the better when encrusted with jewels. And diamonds off course are a girl’s best friend. I am no different. Moreover, I love watching women preen in front of the mirror, admire/covet each other’s jewelry or bargain with store salesmen while an indulgent boyfriend/belligerent husband looks on . After all he has to foot the bill.

What none of these naïve females understand is that the chains around the neck, the bangles and bracelets (manacles), the anklets (shackles), the nose ring and the erstwhile chastity belt were symbols of bondage. As women are capable of being impregnated by any man who gains access to her heart and body, the insecure male would capture and enslave his woman in this manner to ensure that his genetic pool is transferred through his sperm to the future generation. After all, he has won her after stiff competition and it would not do to bring up another man’s child which she can easily pass off as his.  Sexual jealousy, even today, is the most destructive of all jealousies leading to clashes that often result in death.

Next to the instinct for survival is the innate need to carry forward one’s genes in this cycle of life and death.  The animal kingdom is replete with such examples and man is no different especially, when it comes to reproduction. The first thing a male lion does on taking over a pride is to kill the off spring of his predecessor so that he can produce his own. The male dragon fly shakes out the fertilized eggs of another male from the female’s body before he impregnates her!  And the prehistoric man would drag the female by her hair to his cave bind her hand and foot so that she produced only his offspring.  Emotional blackmail and mental subjugation have taken precedence over physical bondage in the civilized world of today.

I have no desire to repulse members of my sex by acquainting them with the genesis of our ornaments. Go ahead and pretty yourselves to your heart’s content for these are but vestiges of what they were meant to be. Colourful bangles, multiple chains around the neck, dangly earrings, nose rings, finger rings do enhance our beauty despite the fact that they once symbolized subjugation. The time has come to use the very weaponry men used against us to entice them. Take pride in the fact that we still hold that subconscious power like an invisible whip over their heads and do not have to take crap from them. I am not encouraging promiscuity, or saying that men and women cannot coexist peacefully but it always good to know that we have an ace up our sleeve when fate deals us a rough hand.