How many times do we women have to hear statements like the following?
“You have to choose between family and work, are your kids
more important to you or your job”?
“You must be really selfish because you chose your career
over having a child”
“You know, you could have gone for a traditional career like
teaching and not that of a DJ which is certainly not safe for women”!
Aren’t we all sick of hearing statements like this? And the
worst part is that these often come from our family members, friends, spouses,
siblings and so on.
Women today are choosing to go for everything from becoming
a tattoo artist to an animal rights activist – none of which are considered “safe”
or “traditional” for them. However, why do we have to choose between what we
want to become and what we are “supposed” to become”? Why is there always an “or”
and not an “AND”? Why can’t we be successful banker AND a doting mother instead
of a banker OR a mom”?
This is the story of my friend, Muskan, who had to struggle for everything right
from her childhood. Coming from a conservative family, with a long line of 5
sisters behind her, she was asked to give up on her education after class X.
She refused to do so and started working part-time at a tailoring shop to fund
her own education. It is needless to say here that even when she started
bringing money to her home, her family still didn’t approve of her doing a job
and studying at the same time. She was either supposed to be a “good girl” and
get married or stay at home till she was married off.
She did neither of those things. Not only did she fund her
own education till college, she joined an airhostess training academy after
successfully procuring a loan from a nationalized bank. Today, she works with
one of the leading airlines and is happily married to a man who loves her for what
she is and not for what she was “meant” to be.
I salute you my friend. I am glad to have made your
acquaintance in this lifetime.
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