Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
It took a lot of convincing to get my parents' permission to travel on my own. But once I did, I realised that travelling on my own was wonderful.
It took a lot of convincing to get my parents’ permission to travel on my own. But once I did, I realised that travelling on my own was wonderful.
Travel- the best way to be lost and found at the same time. However, Indian parents don’t let their daughters travel, either alone or with friends.
Recently, before the lockdown began, I went on a trip with my friends. When we planned, it was just a carefree trip but it took a lot of effort to convince them to let me go.
There are a number of things you learn when you travel. It helps you understand the true meaning of life and become a better person. Every time you travel, you see the world with new eyes. And once you’re outside your parents’ safety net, you learn to be more responsible and to take your own decisions. Travelling helps you become more confident.
In our society, travelling is often looked at as a comment on a girl’s character. For me and a lot of my friends, it is unimaginable to even propose a trip, let alone a solo trip! You either don’t trust your daughter or you don’t think she’s mature enough. And you question her confidence and her self-esteem.
Parents wanting their daughters to be safe is fair. The world is not a pretty place for girls. And every parent, is obviously, concerned about their daughter’s safety. However, by not trusting her, you prove to her that she isn’t smart or capable enough to handle the situation.
At the same time, when it comes to her marriage, you expect her to take such a big decision of choosing her partner. Especially in arranged marriages, parents expect their daughter to choose a life partner within a few meets. And if she opts for a love marriage, you don’t trust that choice either.
We like to believe that we keep the birds safe when we don’t set them free. A lot of times, it is the same for the daughters too. Daughters need to be freed too. All our lives we have been told that if we keep travelling we will not be focused enough. But travelling helps us find our purpose and focus in life.
I still remember that time when I travelled with my friends for the first time. It was difficult to convince our parents. They flat out refused initially but we didn’t give up and finally managed to convince them.
However, there were conditions they put on us- ‘Call us every two hours,’ ‘We want numbers of everyone you’re going with.’ They even told us that if we didn’t come back safe or made mistakes, they wouldn’t us travel again. Though we agreed to all their conditions, we know they won’t allow us to travel like that again- not with friends but definitely not solo! All this thanks to the pressure from the society.
There is a quote by Jackson Brown Jr that I like a lot- ‘Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do rather than by the ones you did do.’
So with that quote in mind, let your daughter make their own decisions. Let them listen to their hearts and live their dreams. If they want to fly, let them fly free as a bird. And let your daughter consider you her friend and not her strict parent.
Picture credits: Pexels
read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
Please enter your email address