About Gender Equality and finding your purpose
[For context, I am a woman in her 30s, who grew up in India]
My mom was a top scoring student in her classes. She married my dad in a traditional Hindu wedding.
As the cultural traditions go, she molded herself as her day-to-day duties changed to being a housewife. My dad’s duty was to provide the family income.
Growing up, I saw my dad’s business run into financial losses. And each time, we’d survive.. Because my mom made wise investments from the money she had- the pocket money from her parents and what she got for making home expenses. She spent less on herself and saved more. We are still surviving thanks to her investments.
Fast forward to a few years later, now I am all grown up. I decided to go to US to pursue higher education. Five hours before my flight, my dad tells me to not leave the country- he’s emotional that I am leaving but he’s also worried that my independence will become a hurdle in me getting married.
In that moment, my mom did something which I’d never forget. She yelled at me and told me- “If you want to become something in your life, you must stop crying now. You must get up and go out of the house, learn and be who you want to be.”
It took years of unlearning what I was told my ultimate role in society is- to be a wife and start a family.
It took years to find my own voice, telling me that I want to be SO much more, than just that. And it’s an ongoing effort to continue to believe and work towards it.
So here I am. Being brave to share my art and story with you today. Here’s my message/reminder to you:
“Cooking, cleaning, doing laundry at home” are human skills. “Running a business, leading a team, delivering a product at workplace” are also human skills. We must clear our minds from gender based biases to progress forward as a society.
Be an equal partner in your household, be an equal ally at your workplace. Teach your kids, parents, family, friends to be the same! Have difficult conversations! And for those of you who are struggling to get the support they need- keep fighting, stay strong!
Happy International Women’s Day!
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[PS: Even though me and my dad disagree, I respect him and his beliefs. And I’d respect yours. Also, follow me on Insta, for more artwork: https://www.instagram.com/capespirited/]
