India might not be a land of snake charmers anymore, but it isn’t a country that’s cool with single mothers either. Amidst this struggle for modernity and freedom, there are certain problems only Indian women face and will understand!
1. Incredible pressure to juggle work and family responsibilities. Indian parents-in-law aren’t known to be particularly supportive. So a typical Indian woman’s day begins two hours before everyone else, cooking, packing lunch, making breakfast, sending kids off to school and only then does she get a chance to get ready for her own day at work.
2. Horrific groping and touching in overcrowded buses, trains and metros. Us women therefore board public transport equipped with sharp pins to prick potential gropers with! Of course there’s also the very useful pepper spray that never fails to inflict pain.
3. If a girl is living alone her landlord suddenly starts taking an extra interest in her comings and goings and especially the men who come over to visit. You might have left your parents to find your own space, but Indian uncles and aunties hardly ever let you do your thing without interfering in every move you make.
4. Short dresses are a big no no! Changing clothes in the car on the way to the party is one experience every young girl has had!
5. India doesn’t have systems in place to deal with harassment at the workplace. Inappropriate behaviour behind closed doors and in elevators hardly ever gets reported. But, listen up ladies, arm yourself with a thorough understanding of the Vishakha guidelines and fight such abuse!
6. Women are routinely paid lesser than men even though the work they do is the same. Why do you think Kareena Kapoor never earns as much as Hrithik Roshan?
7. You have to get married early if you want to avoid a hoard of badgering uncles and aunties! By the time you hit 24, parents start nagging you to find someone and settle down. Oh, the horror! Read our piece about dodging the “When are you getting married beta” question to get out of such sticky situations.
8. Being able to travel alone, is one dream every girl dreams of but is unable to fulfil thanks to the “akeli ladki ek khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai” mindset.
9. Getting home late at night when you don’t have your own a car or bike. Using public transport at night can be pretty dangerous. Unless you are a black belt in a martial art or a pro at abusing and self defence.
10. If you’re a sportswoman in India, you’re likely to receive zero attention for your achievements. Hopefully, with Mary Kom’s recent blitzing of the mediasphere, this prejudice will finally be reversed.
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