I Am More Than My Breasts: Aalia Ebrahim

In a very thoughtful post, Aalia Ebrahim writes how, no matter what she wears, she is not” asking for it.”Way to go, girl!

Pooja Bedi ‘s 17-year-old daughter Aalia Ebrahim, has been putting up some lovely photos on her Instagram profile, which a Website recently carried. All went well, until she read the comments that were written for her- Whore and Porn ready  were few. Though 17, Aalia came up with a brave response, something all of us will relate. In her blog, she says,

Recently however, I came across a very nice post by Miss Malini that featured me. Everything within the post was very respectful and well said. And the caption to it on facebook said “Hi Bollywood… are you looking at this?” (can be seen at https://goo.gl/hY7QJy ) When I read the comments, my smile faded away. All anyone spoke about was how I was barely wearing any clothes, how I was just another “randi,” that “taking my clothes off” just made me an unworthy slut. That I was “porn ready,” not “bollywood ready” and of course the perennial “Indian girls like this are ruining our culture.”

Then she goes on to talk about consent and makes a very relevant point that showing one’s cleavage is not giving consent. You know, that Indian phrase, “She was asking for it.” She writes,

If my cleavage is visible, it does not mean I am giving consent, it does not mean I am “asking for it.” I am more than my breasts and it is unfair to let them define me. I am an eighteen year old Indian girl and that does not take away the fact that I am allowed to dress the way I please. I wouldn’t judge or disrespect a woman in a burkha, salwaar kameez or sari, and I deserve the same respect back.

She further adds, “My breasts do not take away from all the social service I have done, my breasts do not take away my numerous academic and extracurricular accomplishments and awards, my breasts do not take away my strong academic position. My breasts do not take away the fact that I am I have gotten into and am currently studying Film and Television at New York University; one of the top institutions in the world. My breasts did not get me in and my breasts cannot take away the fact that I am a good human being and that I deserve basic human respect.”

Then she goes on to talk about how we as a society add to the sexualization of women and then add to the violence perpetuated against women.

Reading her blog, we can only say – more power to her and many like her for we need to understand that wearing clothes is a choice not a moral standard for a woman. And no matter how a woman dresses, she is not asking for it.

May you rise Aalia!

Read her full blog here

Cover image via Instagram

Paromita Bardoloi

Proud Indian. Senior Writer at Women's Web. Columnist. Book Reviewer. Street Theatre - Aatish. Dreamer.

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