Barbie Dolls

Picking up another contentious issue to discuss which has been much debated topic with my wife.

The issue that I plan to put forth is my point of view about bringing up a girl child and would very conveniently ignore the counterview expressed by my wife.

The genesis of this debate started from a general observation/comment by me that parents make a big mistake to doll up their little young daughters – Armani clothes and Gucci shoes.

You can see today little girls as young as two-three sashaying in their designer clothes with parents adoring these little models with starry eyes – my daughter prettiest.

I believe this supposedly indulgent innocuous action by parents puts a much disadvantaged female child at an even weaker position.

Such actions reinforce, propagate and establish the very stereotypes women are trying to fight at that young age itself.

A child’s mind is open to suggestions and how she will view herself will be established at that very age.

“You need to look beautiful” is the worst suggestion that a parents can give to their daughters.

I have nothing against people dressing up their kids smartly, what is an issue is the unnatural degree of emphasis on this dumb activity. This simple suggestion becomes a singular focus as they grow up.

Imagine the strength of this vicious cycle, girls as they grow up have other girls as friends who have been trained themselves to consider this as a vital life defining activity, and looking more beautiful than the peer group becomes a singular focus of achievement.

What right do women have to criticize the advertisers and marketers parading beautiful women and building typecasts when that is what they need and talk about the maximum.

Keep a hand on your heart and say this is not true.

It bleeds my heart to see young girls preening themselves in front of the mirror – wasted life, wasted opportunity.

Before the world defines their position in the society, women themselves become slaves of this image. It takes away so much of their energy, attention, focus, capability.

If you ask me it is bloody unfortunate.

Why?
We all know that men look at women as objects and if women also look themselves as objects (beauty a primary focus) that must indulge the male eye, it’s doom written all over – twice.

Before women scream from the rooftops about their rights, I believe they need to look inwards about the role they play themselves as mothers, sisters, friends, colleagues in shaping the stereotype.

Power of suggestion.

Only you can decide whether your daughter will have an ambition to be another Sushmita Sen or a Marie Curie.

p.s: before any "tare jameen par" flag bearer start taking about the tragedy of putting pressure on kids for achievement, let me clarify, this topic is not about degree of achievement (irrelevant point) but about shaping destiny.