G - Girl

The fact that a person is a girl/lady/woman itself attracts attention. It is not easy to be a girl. As a new born, as a toddler, as a teenager, as a maiden, as a wife, as a mother and as a grand mother, it is not easy at all. In orthodox, conservative families, a baby boy is preferred over a girl because he is known to relieve his parents from hell, according to the religions. As a toddler, the girl should always be protected from pedophiles, rapists. In addition, the girl should be dressed with bangles, flowers and should follow societal norms. As a maiden of marriageable age, she is always asked why she is not married yet. As a wife, she is always nagged why she is not pregnant yet. As a mother, she is always challenged for her parental skills. As a grand mother, she is always a burden to her children or daughters-in law (as she always tries to supervise on things they do.) And through all these stages of life, she has to protect herself from eve-teasers, rapists, critics of her body, critics of her feminine talents and skills she is supposed to possess.

It is not easy to be born as a girl. Not one bit.

Written for A to Z April Challenge, 2016.