This Women's Day, Let's Promise Ourselves To Never Compromise On These 5 Things In Life

Women have been taught to "compromise" for centuries and the word has almost become synonymous with women. It’s perceived as a very noble trait, and women who compromise are glorified by the patriarchal society that we live in. But for how long are we going to let this happen? How many more battles are we going to lose? How much more are we going to sacrifice for others?

Isn’t it high time to prioritise our happiness and peace? After all, we deserve it! This Women’s Day, let’s promise ourselves never to compromise on any of these five most important aspects of life.

5 Things Women Should Not Compromise

1. Financial independence

Despite more women pursuing a career, the question of whether we are truly financially independent remains. True financial independence comes not just when we are working but when we are allowed to have our own bank account and decide how to spend our hard-earned money.

Seeking guidance from someone about investments is one thing, but letting family members take charge of our bank accounts, savings, investments, etc. is totally another thing. That again makes us dependent on someone else for money. What is the use of making money if we lack agency over it? Let's learn to handle our own finances and stop being dependent on anyone.

2. Career

Today, more women are educated, but are we able to pursue successful careers? All of us have dreams, passions, ambitions, and career goals, and they are equally important. According to data, female labour force participation had dropped to 19 percent in 2021. This is happening across all social and economic groups.

Marriage is one of the major reasons women drop out of the workforce. We are expected to move to our husband’s place, have children, and then eventually even highly successful women end up quitting their jobs because of patriarchal gender roles. How much longer are we going to let men’s careers and dreams precede ours?

3. Relationship

Relationships are a lot of things: love, understanding, trust, respect, loyalty, and compromise. But that compromise must come from both ends to form a healthy relationship. Traditionally, women have been taught to be the ones to adjust and compromise in relationships. But for how long are we going to burn ourselves to make an unhealthy relationship work?

We need to ensure that we don’t hold on to a relationship that is unhappy, broken, abusive, or toxic. If we are ever put in a position to compromise on our self-respect, equality, loyalty, career, children, family, friends, and religion, then it’s time to bid adieu to that relationship.

4. Health

Women are shattering ceilings in their careers, but sometimes at the cost of their health. Taking a break and prioritising our health is a luxury that many of us cannot afford. We have been raised to prioritise the needs of others over our own. At work, we have to be twice as efficient as men to prove our worth. At home, regardless of whether we pursue a career or not, the entire load of domestic chores and parenting responsibilities is dumped on us, leaving us no time to relax.

We keep doing it all until one day the stress takes a toll on our health and shatters us completely. It’s high time we start realising that if we don’t take care of ourselves, no one will.

5. Friends, Family, and Me-time

Regardless of how demanding our careers, marital obligations, and parenting responsibilities are, we need to have our own circle of people whom we can steadfastly count on. Sometimes, even when the entire universe gathers against us, it’s our family and friends who might be standing beside us. So it’s vital to have a solid support system, no matter how hectic our schedule is.

Spending at least 30 minutes of me time every day will increase our productivity. Taking a little time off the grid to relax and reboot is a necessity for our overall well-being.

So, girls, enough compromises have been made. If we don’t ensure that we live a happy and peaceful life, no one will. From this woman's day onward, let’s be our own rays of sunshine and rainbows. Let’s make it happen for ourselves and the sister beside us. Let's say it out aloud, "Mein apni favourite hoon!"

Suggested Reading: 6 Things I Want My Mom To Stop Doing From This Women’s Day