"Men And Women Are Equal But...": Sudha Murty On Gender Equality

Author-philanthropist and Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty recently shared a video explaining what gender equality means to her. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, Ms Murty explained how she thinks men and women are "like two wheels of a bicycle". "In my view, men and women are equal but in different ways. They complement each other like two wheels of a bicycle; you can't move forward without the other," she wrote while sharing the clip. 

In the video, Ms Murty said, "What is equality? You should define first." "You know both genders are different," she added. In the rest of the clip, Ms Murty, the former Infosys chairperson, spoke more about her statement. 

Watch the video below:

In my view, men and women are equal but in different ways. They complement each other like two wheels of a bicycle; you can't move forward without the other. pic.twitter.com/MMShEOtg9Q

— Smt. Sudha Murty (@SmtSudhaMurty) June 27, 2024

In the video, Mr Murty explained that women are "wired" differently than men. She said that women are "normally very good at languages". According to her, they are excellent managers, compassionate and giving. Men, on the other hand, are "different," Ms Murty said. "They are wired differently. Their emotional quotient is not like women.. They may have a good IQ (intelligence quotient) but they definitely don't have a good EQ (emotional quotient)," she said.  

Since being shared, Ms Murty's video has accumulated more than 4,740 views. Social media users posted varied comments while reacting to her opinion on gender equality. "So true!!" wrote one user. 

"Very true. On same page," said another. 

"True. Both face hard of life. Without both nature is not complete," expressed a third. 

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Meanwhile, earlier this week, Ms Murty also recalled a phone call she received from former president APJ Abdul Kalam. Taking to her official X account, she posted a picture of Mr Kalam conferring her Padma Shri award in 2006 and said that she thought the former President's call was made for her husband and Infosys founder Narayana Murthy.

"One day, I got a call saying that Mr Abdul Kalam wants to speak to you. I told (the operator) that this is a wrong number because I don't have anything with Abdul Kalam," Ms Murty said in an audio clip she shared of her conversation recorded during a show.

Sudha Murty is the author of several books, mostly for children, and is also known for her contribution to Kannada and English literature. The 73-year-old is a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar, the Padma Shri (2006), and the Padma Bhushan (2023). 

Earlier this year, she was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by President Droupadi Murmu.

Her daughter Akshata Murty is married to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.