Ï am okay, don’t worry”, this is what I tell my parents and grandparents, who are mindful of me most of time, as I am growing up girl in Delhi, India.
I am conscious of the fact that in India , being a girl , I need to take care of many things.. Including what I am wearing, where I am going, what time I am going; also the fact is that being a teenager of the 21st century, I don’t like being told what to do all the time. I consider myself fortunate as I am able to speak out my thoughts and mostly my family respects them. But that’s not the case with many families, even some of my friends. Many families prefer their girls not to question, speak, explore, and chase their dreams. They rather marry them off soon, so they get relaxed; and many more prefer a girl not to be born at all.
I always question why are we living in so much of fear. Can’t this insecurity be addressed? Should we have stricter laws and punishments? Is the value system and parenting for boys faltering?
Don’t tell me the experienced and the learned group that it takes many generations to change the behaviour and conditioning…I think from Draupadi to Nirbhaya many generations have passed already; let us see the change now!!
I want to walk out of house fearless, I want that I am not given uncomfortable looks while I am in public transport, I want that I could laugh my heart out even in public without being judged, and I want that I can trust the opposite gender without having any preconceived notions about them.
Wake up Delhi! Wake up India!! World is achieving new heights and you are still caught up in pity gender issues.