In my culture...

As a girl child, often enough, I am not a welcome addition

That is if I am not killed before I am even born.

I am labelled a burden, sometimes even a curse and treated differently.

And my brothers always get priority in everything.

Growing up, I don’t have an identity to call my own.

My thoughts, my hopes, my dreams have no voice.

I am someone’s daughter, someone’s sister

Until I become someone else’s wife and mother

In my culture  

As a wife and a mother, the expectations are endless

Its overwhelming, to juggle between home and a job to make ends meet

Yet I am a non-entity who is never appreciated

My needs, my wants, go unnoticed.

I am expected to always respect and serve my husband

Live by his rules, no questions asked

Keep fasts for his long life and treat him like a God

Irrespective of how he chooses to treat me

Any wonder then, I feel used and abused, dead inside

Trapped like a caged bird, with broken wings

Broken spirit, unable to fly and live my dreams

Just because I am a woman

In my culture

We need to break free from this repeated cycle

By treating our sons and daughters equally

Give both the same importance in all aspects of life.

It is after all their birth right - male or female.

If we have been meek and afraid to voice our opinions

Our daughters need to be different, strong and confident

Courageous to break free if not treated with dignity

And stand strong for what they believe in

Let us teach our sons to treat women with love and respect

Just as they would want to be treated

And the importance of walking side by side as equals

Tread life’s path together with pride in each other

In my culture….

Woman to woman lets shatter the silence and voice our discontent

Let’s not subject our daughters to what we have had to endure

Together we have the resilience to bring about change

Start by welcoming the girl child with open arms 

She too is human, more vulnerable, when she is not nurtured

Make her feel valued, worthy to live life on her terms

Give her reason to hope, to aspire to live her dreams.

Don’t victimise her for being born a girl

Today’s girl child….give her a tomorrow worth living