Marriage is a union of two people in a personal relationship being together forever and legally. In Bengali culture and other desi cultures such as Indian and Pakistani, most girls get the marriage talk at the age of 17. Your parents ask you when you want to get married, as they’ve already been looking for a husband for you. Many girls back out and don’t get married. However, some can’t back out and they get pressured into marriage. Many parents and guardians tell these girls that marriage is the way to success and a good living, meaning you don’t have to work and can rely on your husband. He’s the one that will shower you with happiness, money and everything else you wish. However, this isn’t true: there are many successful desi women that aren’t married.
Priyanka Chopra, 35, is an Indian actress, singer, film producer, philanthropist and the winner of Miss World in 2000. She broke traditional barriers by going from Bollywood to Hollywood. She was on the cover of Vogue in 2017. She’s done many Bollywood movies, such as Barfi and Krrish. She was also in Baywatch and currently on the show Quantico. She’s also a UNICEF goodwill ambassador. She hasn’t gotten married and taking advantage of all these opportunities by relying on anyone.
“I wasn’t the prettiest girl in the room, but I learned to carry myself with confidence—that’s how you make the best impression on people.”—Priyanka Chopra
Another successful single desi woman, Malala Yousafzai, 20. She’s the Pakistani activist for female education and has received the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2012, she was shot in the head for fighting for education on behalf of Pakistani women. She has written several books like “Malala’s Magic Pencil.” She’s currently studying at university and representing girl power.
Getting married doesn’t mean you lose your girl power and have to rely on your husband. There are many successful married women. Sushmita Sen, 42, is an Indian film actress, model and the winner of the Miss Universe pageant of 1994. She was the first Indian women to receive Miss Universe and worked hard for it. She’s currently traveling the world to make changes.
There are many desi women you can look up to such as Priyanka Chopra, Madhuri Dixit, Malala Yousafezi, Akanksha and so on. Marriage isn’t bad, but it should be your choice and not of those pressuring you to get married. Marriage doesn’t define you; you define yourself.
