What Indian Women Need To Learn: How To Be Alone

Women in India have protected lives. When they are young, by their parents, and once they get older and get married, by their husbands. This is the norm. Women are to be kept safe, indoors - like the gold in your bank locker.

All our life we have been taught to be careful while talking to men, get home before sunset, and ask for permission before we go anywhere. A lot of Indian women still feel dependent on their parents, even after they are 18 years old, even after they get married or have children.

When we travel abroad, we are often enchanted by how independent and free women are in western countries. Why is there a gap between us and them? Well, they are allowed to go out into the world and experience it on their own! Indian women live with their parents until they get married, and live with their husbands or in-laws after they are married. That’s it. There’s no in between. Although there are many urban women who are moving to different towns and cities to get jobs and make a living, there is still a large population of women who never live alone.

Living alone is an experience like no other. There’s no one to feed you, do your dishes, your laundry or help you when you have problems.Once you learn to stand on your own, there’s no need for other’s opinions or permission. You know what’s best for you.

You have to learn to deal with things on your own. This is a very valuable life skill, and Indian women need to embrace it. It makes one strong, independent and confident to do whatever they wish to.

Life throws you a lot of challenges and these challenges get easier if you’ve already accomplished living on your own, because it is not easy. It doesn’t mean that you will have a party every night with friends, or you’ll go out every day and be back whenever you want. Well, it does mean that, but it also means cleaning up your house after the party and no one is around to help you, it means looking after yourself when you have a high fever, it means dealing with your landlord on your own, it means becoming an adult.

Indian Women Need To Learn To Be Alone

When you’re in the cushioned comfort of your father or husband’s house, you often times don’t realise these things. More than all the responsibilities, you learn how to be emotionally independent. You learn to deal with sadness, happiness, grief, anger, disappointment, excitement, and every other emotion on your own. You learn to savour every emotion, and not just hide behind someone else while feeling it. It can be a hard knock life, but it is totally worth it, and every Indian woman should exercise the right to be independent in life. This indeed could be India's ticket to becoming a developed nation.

Also Read: Why Marriage Is No Longer Important For The Urban Independent Woman​?