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A brutally honest letter from one Indian girl to the country, telling it as it is, and demanding her autonomy and due respect from a patriarchal nation.
Dear India,
As much as I am proud to stand for the woman in me, I can’t help but feel helpless to be born as a girl in this country. As a woman, I have to fight for anything and everything, which comes as natural to the opposite gender. Of course, you won’t accept my allegations; after all, you are a country where patriarchal traditions prevail.
I am tired of battling judgment that comes my way from all the corners of the society. Since childhood we are told what to wear, how to conduct, our time lines are set, and basically every decision of our life is monitored. I can’t even question, because that contradicts the tight and limited mould I am suppose to fit in as a woman. Please realize that I am not Cinderella and I don’t want to get in those shoes. I want to build my own fairytale, my own empire, where I am free and liberated.
When I should get married and have a child should be my choice. I don’t want to be governed by the stereotypical expectations, which don’t meet my timelines. A live-in relationship makes me an easier bait. But wait, aren’t there two required for a live-in relationship? Also, smoking and drinking is hazardous to health for women only? No. Really? Then why are we only subject to the criticism? I have bruised my throat and inner self by asking these questions and many more, but instead of answers, more condemn comes my way.
One may think that it prevails in the rural areas, but I write from the urban ones. I can’t fathom what the underprivileged women go through. They might not even realise that they are born with the thinking and questioning power. They accept their fate as the definition of a woman.
Even after staying amidst an educated crowd, I am judged for my period stains. Cramps are not as painful as the the looks you get from public. FYI – Yes I bleed, and no, I don’t bleed blue. Funny how people created from the same remnant of woman’s body cleansing, can raise eyebrows for it.
Not once, but there are many instances that the world limited my capacity for achievement, just because I was born a woman. Pick a newspaper and you’ll find how many times I was tormented, judged, and put to shame, while the culprits were set free.
Don’t tell me what time to get indoor, don’t advice me on my dress code, don’t tell me what job profile suits my gender, don’t tell me what a ‘sabya naari’ should do. First provide me with a ‘sabhya’ nation! We, the women of India demand that.
Before you wrap a veil on me, or put a tape on my lips, please unveil your eyes to the judgment that surrounds the women of this country. We were and will keep fighting, but a little help will ensure to reach a healthy nation faster.
Being optimistic, One Indian Girl, speaking for many.
Published here earlier.
Image source: vecteezy
I did my MBA in finance and was part of the corporate world of market research for 5.5 years (on and off). I'm a mother of a beautiful and demanding baby girl. I' read more...
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