Actor Vidya Balan has called upon every woman to acknowledge her body.

The 44-year-old actor, who has essayed roles in more than 40 movies, was speaking at the 65th All India Congress of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Kolkata on Thursday.

“A woman derives such a large part of her identity from her body. Yet we don’t want to acknowledge the body, we don’t want to acknowledge its desire and needs. We don’t take adequate care of it. Every woman must acknowledge every part of her body and nurture it,” Balan said.

She said the onus of women’s health lies not only with her but also with her family.

“We keep talking about women’s health, but the onus does not lie just with her. Families need to invest in the health of their women. If we want to be a progressive and successful nation, we must invest in the health of women,” she said.

Balan said there has been a lot of change in society with education and awareness, “but still we have a long way to go”.

“A small step will go a long way. When a woman visits a gynaecologist, maybe, she should insist her father, partner or son come along,” she said.

Noting that women are embarrassed and feel awkward about certain health issues, she said that if women are accompanied by family members to gynaecologists, her family will understand her health issues.

“The more people see, the more they move forward and attitudes change,” she added.

Balan said she savoured famous sweets of Kolkata and visited the Kalighat temple. 

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