Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
A mother writes a heart-felt letter to her son post the #MeToo movement, telling him to respect women and grow up to be a responsible individual.
Dear son,
This letter comes from a mother who is a woman first. I wonder where did we go wrong as women because it took us few centuries and a Tanushree Dutta to realize that this is not normal. The hands brushing our breast. Those glares at the bra strap peeping through the shirt. The cleavage when the dupatta goes too high. Taking us for granted if at a party our skirt is too short or the lipstick too red or when we hold our glasses in our hands with dignity and not guilt.
It also comes from a woman who believes that fault is not entirely ours. The men who were raised by women like us missed a few words in the dictionary while growing up. Respect and Consent.
Here is where my role as a mother becomes of utmost importance. I can’t give back, what was taken away from a generation of women, but I can very well save the coming one by doing my bit.
Son, respect your peers, your elders, the ones younger to you and the ones weaker than you. That shall be your strength.
And learn to accept a NO. Absorb it in your system with grace and not let your ego tell you otherwise.
Also my son, don’t change for the world. Don’t change to be accepted because my fear is not for the girls, because women of this country can very well take care of themselves.
My fear is I don’t want #metoo to be followed by a #hetoo.
Don’t be submissive because the waves of change are too strong. Don’t lose your respect on the path of following a prototype. Also, do not give in, to be blamed for the scars that you haven’t caused. Let your voice be yours. And let it not be maligned.
Son, you can protect others only if you learn to stand up for yourself first.
And remember, I am always here from where you took your flight.
Love
Maa.
Image Source: Pixabay
read more...
This post has published with none or minimal editorial intervention. 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