Being a woman, even in these modern times, is definitely not a cakewalk. At every walk of life, girls, daughters, wives and mothers, each one of them might have experienced a sense of restriction, a feeling of inferiority or have been deprived of their right to make decisions.
Many of us believe that marriages are made in heaven, but is it really true? While almost nothing after a marriage changes for a man, women have to leave their parent’s home, they have to sacrifice their life-goals, and they may even be asked to give up on their jobs, hobbies and their surname.
While many may blame the deep-rooted patriarchy in our culture and society, we must introspect and reflect on the things that we can undo. Here are some of the customs and traditions, we must rethink about:
In most of the Indian homes, a young girl is taught to be an ideal daughter-in-law, considering the fact that she is already a ‘paraya dhan’. Rather than gaining knowledge from her own experiences and living a life of independence, she is ripped off of a choice and made to believe that being an ideal daughter-in-law will be the greatest achievement for her.
Restricted to the domestic life
Even today, where our world has touched the heights of modernity, the plight of many unfortunate women remains the same as before. At every point of her life, a woman has to make choices that only satisfy the demands of society. Her personal choices and opinions are never valued. While a wife must choose her home over her career or her husband’s surname over her own, a mother must give up her aspirations and dreams to take care of her children, regardless of having a husband, who is equally accountable to the domestic realm.
Daughters are born and raised in their parent’s home, only to be given away to their in-laws after marriage. While there’s no problem in leaving one’s home and settling in one’s husband’s home, but there is always the matter of choice that’s being violated. Due to the practices of this custom, the idea of a ‘Paraya Dhan’ becomes so ingrained in our minds that it doesn’t even seem like a violation of rights at all. And as the women have grown up with these values and is inculcated in her my her parents, they do not even see a point or way in resisting it. That’s how every traditional belief and values continues to reign over our societies.