Struggles of being a girl

Being born a girl comes with a huge package of rocks and flowers. Why? Simply because you have a vagina and a pair of breasts. Some may not agree, but do hear me out and make your own opinion at the end. Vagina. One word. Biologically quite simple in structure and function but socially? Quite the hassle.

The first deal of the package would be, without doubt, periods, also known as the menstrual cycle. It is a simple process through which massive internal bleeding occurs inside your abdomen and your uterus spews out gallons of blood for 6 days straight and if you are lucky enough, this may last for only 5 days maximum. To top it off, you are awarded with hours and hours or maybe even days of cramps and contractions where being knocked unconscious is more appealing than being subject to such amount of pain. Cool, right?

The second deal of this same package would be the privilege of being sexually harassed. You see, when you have a vagina, you are automatically awarded with the privilege of being openly called out for your body. It doesn't matter how you look or what you are wearing. It doesn't matter if you are showing no cleavage at all. It doesn't matter if you are alone or with your friends or with your family. The moment you are a girl, you will most definitely be praised by complete strangers about your face, your breasts or your ass with very ‘flattering’ words. Best part of it all? You may even be followed until you cave in and if you do not, you get a very different set of names; whore, ugly, arrogant. Nice, right?

Third deal would definitely be the double-standards of society. Everyday women are excessively oversexualized by media. Women wearing skimpy clothes on advertisements are praised by hundreds for their feminine beauty and yet, when you wear the exact same clothes you are labelled a slut by thousands. The moment a piece of your skin is showing you are considered as being an easy woman. And it gets worse. If you are the unfortunate victim of attempt upon chastity or rape, you are the one who is responsible. You should have been fully clothed. It’s not the fault of the attacker that he had a sadistic mind, could not control his sexual urges and could not keep it in his pants. You are the one who provoked him. It is your fault that he attacked you because you wanted to wear clothes of your own choice and be yourself. He is just a poor victim of your exposed skin and the existence of your reproductive organ.

Fourth would be the inferiority complex which is consistently drilled into your head while growing up. We live in the 21^st century and call ourselves civilized and modern yet our mind-set is still dominated by patriarchy. Girls cannot lose their virginity before the sacred vows but boys can. Girls cannot go out at night but boys can. Girls cannot consume alcoholic drinks but boys can. Girls cannot do sports but boys can. Girls’ education is less important than that of boys. A girl in a sex-tape is slut-shamed but the boy is praised. Women are made to cook and serve food during dinners while men are made to socialize and drink. The lack of confidence and power given to the female gender by society is saddening. No matter how much you try to thrive, you are constantly being shackled down and demeaned.

This is probably just a brief summary of the package. If you are a girl, there is a high probability that you will see yourself in one of the above and if you do not, you are quite a lucky one. Society has always challenged us and tried to crush us. Let us all have the courage to never back down. Let us all hold our crowns high above the ground even if we are being buried hundreds of feet underneath it.

P.S let us not ignore the struggles boys face as well which may be the title of the next article.

Sending buckets full of love your way,
Kavya H. Saikia 🌸