A letter to all the women of this world, by yours truly, a confused lovable disoriented heart.

This is for all the times that I’ve heard- be a lady, behave as a lady does, don’t go out at night, take somebody along to accompany you, don’t wear enticing clothes, do not show your bra strap, do not sit with your legs wide open, and many other statements that every single girl grows up listening to over and over again, from the moment they are born to their last breath. I’ve grown up reading and listening about women, who never submitted, about women who stood tall in the face of the orthodoxy, about women who never shied away, about women who never gave up, and I even have the privilege of living, learning and breathing with few women of the same zest and demeanour. I’ve believed in the power of a woman’s wrath and love, way before I got acquainted with this patriarchal mess of a society. My mother never shunned before teaching me about the vices and virtues of this faux world, neither did my father. My sister never taught me to fight or insult or trample other women, but lift each other up. We were born this way, and I know of only this way of living.

So, this letter is indeed a thank you note for all the women out there. Thank you for believing in yourselves and believing in us, for fighting and striving for the dawn of the day of true and equal freedom, independence and liberty. I believe in every woman out there in the war zones with herself, her family and the society, for her passions and virtues; every single woman who is fighting and striving day and night for egalitarian pay and treatment, in defiance of an orthodox, conservative society. I believe in you all and with that, I trust you to never stop and never deter and stand headstrong in the face of the male patriarchy, the dominance of this species which deems the head-of-the-house position without any true qualification. I trust that when the next time a sexist, misogynist, prejudiced world will come your way, ready to usher havoc and chaos, you shall release the armageddon of peace and revolution and not let the womankind be termed as weak, submissive or meek in any way. I trust that you will stand up for your rights and happiness before this world can teach you that you have none.  I believe in you because in believing in you, I believe in myself, my freedom, my life, my career, my rights and my choices. I trust you because in trusting you, I trust in myself, my duties, my responsibilities, my strength, and my courage.

I hope our daughters, and their daughters and their daughters will not have to write notes like these, I hope they will have a new world to live in, a world where their bra strap is not a problem, but the rapists running free are; where the length of their skirt is not a problem, but the unequal pay and treatment are; where their opinions and choices are not a problem, but the thinking of the society is. I hope they never have to read about the women’s rights protests and see the plight of those protestors out there dying and suffering. I hope they never have to submit or closet themselves and their opinions due to the fear of society. I hope they do not have to live the lie of freedom and independence, I hope they are free, in all aspects that matter. In March, where the air breathes celebration of womanhood, a single day marking the beauty, essence, significance of women, I say why one day, one month? Why not the whole year or eternity? Because, believe it or not, all genders happen to be equal, with their importance, duties and part in the grand workings of the society, so why celebrate? Love, and love. Appreciate, validate and support each other, because if not us, then who?

Ciao!

Yours truly,

A feminist soul in a  bigoted patriarchal society

PS- I LOVE YOU ALL