Embracing a body positive future in an Indian household

What are you wearing? How can you wear such deep necklines outside the house?

Coming from well-intentioned parents and families, nosy neighbours, and just about anyone on the streets these days, women are very often moral-policed for the type of clothing they wear. A significant amount of a woman’s ‘sanskaari’ character is associated with how low her hemlines are and how high her neckline is, without seeking much of an opinion about what she actually wants. The British may have left, but dress codes still reign free across schools, workplaces, and sometimes even unwritten, unsaid rules at home quietly hold women back. It doesn’t stop there, don’t be fooled! Such moral policing continues to spill over into social media as well where everyday female celebrities, influencers, and public figures are named and shamed for their fashion choices. While it may take several decades to unlearn such thinking, here is what we can do in our Indian households to embrace a body positive future:

  1. First, start by practising body positivity with yourself! Exercising this compassion for yourself and appreciating your body for its inherent beauty and functional abilities, with a handful of gratitude can be life-changing! After all, we must practice what we preach.
  2. In an effort to preach forward the message, try starting these conversations about body positivity with your spouse, parents, kids, siblings, close friends, or even potential future partners. While you request them to be open-minded, please maintain a level of understanding and respect for their perspectives as well! A couple of easy ways to start the conversation could be through sharing a post about body positivity or casually bringing up something you read in the news!

  3. We’ve all been prey to the occasional nosy aunty who decides our body and our choices are her business to discuss! In such a case, you may either ignore them, respond with a compliment about yourself or even start a conversation about how their comment could be hurtful to you. Of course, you are the best judge and must decide for yourself what your course of action should be!

At the end of the day, it is important to remember that this is the only body you’re ever going to live in! It is the one permanent home you have, so treat it with respect, protect it, and love it abundantly!

 

Article written by : Sanchita Chopra

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