Be nice. Don’t be loud. Don’t be stubborn. Don’t argue. Be modest. Be respectful. Don’t speak out. Be a good wife. Be a good daughter. Be a good sister. Uphold the family honour.
One way or another, these are things we hear almost every day. We are subjected to a vast set of rules simply because the world thinks that the ‘fairer sex is born weaker.’ But even adhering to these rules doesn’t always help us.
We decided to list down the most common problems an Indian girl faces in her life.
1. Shielding Ourselves From Stares
‘It’s natural for men to stare.’ So we need to cover up to help men to not stare at us.
2. The Risk Of Being Groped
An extra layer might lower chances of getting stared at, but being groped doesn’t stop even at burkhas.
3. The Consequences of ‘Coming-Of-Age’
Once she turns 21, getting a girl married becomes her family’s top priority. Parents, relatives and even their friends eagerly undertake a mission to find us the perfect match.
During this search, we are ‘advertised’ on the basis of our physical attributes like our complexion and features and not our educational qualifications.
As if being judged by our bodies wasn’t enough, we even need to make a payment in the form of dowry to get men to marry us.
4. Constantly Being Labelled As Someone’s Property
All our lives we have been objectified. To our parents, we’re their ‘paraaya dhan.’ To our boyfriends, we’re their ‘chicks.’ To a lech, we’re ‘maal’ and some families even call us ‘bojh’ or burden.
5. The Paradox Of Making One’s Own Choices
When a girl talks about making her own choices, they are always presumed to be about smoking, drinking or having sex. Give us a break, there’s more to life than that.
6. Presumptuous Stereotypes
If we are one of those girls who smoke, drink and are sexually active, we are by default ‘available’ and ‘asking for it.’