Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
My mother saw me with damp eyes and asked, “What happened?” I started weeping said, “Mummy, why didn’t you teach me to cook? All girls of my age know?”
Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash
I was feeling a bit low that day. All my friends could cook, while I couldn’t. I was afraid of fire. Over and above that, one of my relatives had made fun of me after knowing that I am not used to cooking.
It was my cousin’s relatives. Another cousin got around 5 kgs of Okra and said, “Please, cut them!” I replied guiltily, “I don’t know how to use a knife as of now!” Soon, the word spread and everyone was making fun of me, “This is the girl who hasn’t used a knife!”
So what if I was just in grade ten! So what if I was just 15 years old! The year was 1984 and during those days, every girl knew to cook. And I didn’t even know how to hold a knife!
She asked, “Did someone say something?”
Upon hearing about the incident, she laughed and said, “If you wish, I can teach you cooking anytime. However, you do wish to be an engineer, don’t you?”
“Hmmm!” I replied.
She continued, “Everyone should do what one feels like, not what society expects out of them. It’s absolutely fine if you don’t know how to cook! Remain focussed on what you wish to do. Cooking is also necessary for everyone, but you will learn it in months I am sure. Obviously, whenever you want to!”
I smiled. Yes, my mom, who was my world, didn’t think that cooking is the most important thing in life!
If all mothers can think ahead of time and let their daughters also follow their dreams, world would be such a better place to live in!
Neelam Saxena Chandra is an Engineering graduate from VNIT and has done her Post Graduation Diploma in IM&HRD and also in Finance. She has completed a summer course in Finance from London School of 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