Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
The bodies and lives of girls and women are 'supposed' to uphold the 'honor' of family, of society, through their sacrifice of their dreams, even their lives sometimes.
The bodies and lives of girls and women are ‘supposed’ to uphold the ‘honor’ of family, of society, through their sacrifice of their dreams, even their lives sometimes.
I lost my honor a long time back Standing behind my mother in the crowded line When I was touched for the first time By a nice man who then gave me a popsicle
I lost my honor the second time When I was slapped for coming home late In front of my brother, younger by years Who was just getting ready to leave for the night
I lost my honor the third time When they threw my mother out of the house Daughters don’t get shares in property they had said As I rubbed my scared sleepy eyes
I lost my honor for the umpteenth time When my mother in law could not lift her eyes And she had to apologize to the roomful of guests For her not so son’s not so fair bride
So what if I lose my honor again today Touching your lips as you draw me closer The world disappearing from my sight as I lock my eyes with a complete stranger?
So what if I lost my honor again today Walking the streets I shouldn’t walk. Losing the layers that did me good Bare. Myself. Vindicated at last.
Image source: Still from Hindi Drama Anamika, YouTube
Tanushree Ghosh (Ph. D., Chemistry, Cornell, NY), is Director at Intel Corp., a social activist, and an author. She is a contributor (past and present) to several popular e-zines incl. The Huffington Post US ( 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