Bride Gifted Baby Feeding Bottle As A "Joke", Is Having Children A Necessity For Women?

Bride gifted baby feeding bottle: Indian weddings can be fun until sexism creeps in. Needless to say, marriage ceremonies in our country are a hub of regressive and outdated rituals.

But a recent incident shows that gender bias and stereotypes have made their way to wedding gifts as well! In a video that is making rounds on the internet, a bride got enraged because the groom's friends gifted her a baby feeding bottle on as a "prank".

Bride gifted baby feeding bottle: What happened at the wedding?

In a viral video, a bride and a groom can be seen sitting on stage when the latter's friends arrived to congratulate them. They then handed over a gift to the bride. Excited, she unwrapped it there and then only to realise that it contained a baby feeding bottle. Understandably, she got angry and threw it away while the guests burst out into a laughter. Despite the fact that she did not appreciate the "joke", the bottle was handed over to her again. But someone else took it away the second time.

The ">video has attracted the attention of netizens. Some considered it inhuman and said that it was a disrespectful act. On the other hand, others believed that the bride was not "sporty enough" to handle a joke.

Sexism cannot be a "joke"

By gifting the bride a feeding bottle, the groom's friends hinted that soon after her marriage, she would be having babies. Why do we take it for granted that women cannot have any post marriage plans except bearing children? Giving birth to a child and bearing their responsibility is not an easy affair. One needs time, family planning and the right state of mind to embrace parenthood. It cannot be forced on anyone who is not prepared for it.

It's shocking that no one came in support of her when the incident took place. Nor did anyone reprimand the men for the insensitive gift. Have we normalised having children to such an extent that consent seems to be unimportant? Such an incident should not have been belittled as "humorous". In fact, such a serious issue should have been strictly dealt with to teach the youngsters a lesson. Had that been done, they wouldn't have been audacious enough to post it on social media and gather views.

Not having a child can also be an option

How much more time do we need to understand that women can choose not to become mothers? There's much more to their lives than just giving birth to babies. All women don't see themselves as "motherly figures". Can't we normalise remaining childfree without attaching taboos to it? Women shouldn't have to be blamed for "not conceiving". Maybe, they just don't want a child. Why is it so hard to accept that?

But we still have instances where women are reminded of their "biological clock" and the "pressure to get pregnant" when they refuse marriage proposals. As soon as they reach the "marriageable age", all their accomplishments take a backseat. The only thing that matters then is whether or not they have a "family" of their own. Marriage and motherhood are seen as parameters of measuring their success.

We cannot afford to submit ourselves to such stigmas. The society and it's orthodoxy cannot change overnight. But we can't stop trying for progress.

Views expressed are author's own