You Are A Woman Now: A Poem After The Recent On-Campus Murder In Pune

Recently, a young woman was murdered at her workplace in Pune – revealing the extent to which contempt for independent women exists. 

I wrote this poem to talk about the way parents raise their daughters to become independent and strong, to be treated as equals. In this poem, I imagine what a girl’s parents might say to her when she moves out to work and live on her own. Unfortunately, our judicial setup turns a blind eye to victims like the Late K. Rasila Raju.

Editor’s Note: Rasila was murdered at her office campus, a place one might imagine to be ‘safe’ for women – by a man who could not tolerate an independent woman who dared to call him out on his behaviour towards her.

You are a woman now,
As you step out to take the world in your stride,
Remember you are second to none,
As long as you don’t fail yourself
Walk with your chin up
In days of joy and sorrow alike.

You are a woman now,
Remember to be nice,
But never believe you are made of sugar and spice.
You have a brain and abilities like a man,
Walk equal and talk eye to eye.
Work as hard to remain an equal,
Enjoy your life as it gets bigger.

You are a woman now,
Don’t let your aspirations die
In the face of conditions that society will apply.
Wear a dress that makes you happy
But don’t let the warmth in your heart fade.
You are our every thing
Ever since you came into being.

You are a woman now,
To the world, you are all grown up,
But to us, you are still a little girl.
This is to the twinkle in your eyes,
May you have a very happy life.

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Top image via Unsplash

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