This post is dedicated to my sister, Shivani. Thank you for making me a better person and teaching me more lessons than I could ever teach you or myself.
Just yesterday, I was sitting with Shivani, my sister, and helping her review her college applications as she was getting ready to submit them. That’s when it hit me. The person that I spent so many years with was finally getting ready to leave the nest and become her own person. I’m a very emotional person, so I immediately had tears in my eyes, and of course she had to make fun of me.
There is really no way for me to explain the kind of relationship that I have with my sister. Saying that it is special would not do it justice. While she is younger than me, I am proud to admit that she teaches me to be selfless, be confident, kind, and so much more.
Our relationship is the epitome of girl power. Her ego is probably skyrocketing after she reads this article, but she deserves the praise, as do all sisters! Not everyone is as lucky as I am to have such a strong and healthy relationship with her sister because a lot of people grow up neglecting their value as girls.
It's Plain Sexist
Within the Indian culture, there’s no hiding that boys still are the preferred sex. This toxic masculinity is what has led to so many issues regarding gender inequality specifically directed towards women within the Indian culture and even other global cultures. Boys are supposedly preferred because they keep the money in the family, take care of their parents, and are going to be the ones to bring honor to their family name. Well I’m here to tell you that girls can do that and so much more.
I understand that 50 years ago the story might have been different because women were simply not given the same opportunities that men were, but how is it that in the 21st century we still live in a society that believes in these outdated views?!
I grew up with my parents, sister, and my grandparents, and I never felt as if I wasn’t valued. My parents after having two girls were always pushed by other family members to have another kid so that they could have a son, but they always retorted back by saying that they were proud to have two daughters who mean the world to them.
I truly think that this is why my sister and I are so close; we take comfort in knowing that we are valued, loved, and cherished by our family and by each other.
The fact that boys are held to such a high standard and girls are looked down apart, especially in traditional parts of India, is a shame on our culture in such a progressive time. This issue is still relevant even in the most modern areas of the world. There are still so many Indian traditions and rituals that are sexist and many families that have implicit bias, but this shouldn’t be the case. Encourage your girls to shatter those glass ceilings and hold your boys and girls to the same value. Both genders are great, and both should be equally treated.
My Love Letter
There’s a recurring joke in my house that my sister is the “second mom” of the house. Whenever my parents would say this, as a kid, I would be infuriated, exclaiming that she’s not in charge of me because I’m the older one. As I’ve matured, I’ve realized that I’ve played into the cultural stereotypes that I’m now so against. Within our culture, we hold the elder siblings to such a high standard that we often forget how valuable the younger ones can be because they get pushed into our shadow and have a hard time creating their own identity. Shivani is why I am such a confident and outspoken person because she’s always been the one to empower me and listen to me! My hope is that other siblings share this power dynamic and radiate equality just like we do! So, thank you, kid, for being someone that I can look up to even if you’re younger and for defying stereotypes with me.