THINK PAD
In our society, girls don’t enjoy the freedom to follow their dreams. When a girl turns 18, her parents and relatives become concerned about her wedding. It doesn’t matter to most parents if their daughters want to complete their education and have a career first because they want to be able to afford the lifestyle they want. Nowadays, both boys and girls are in their mid 20s by the time they complete their education. After getting a degree it takes a little time to get a job or start a business, but the moment girls complete their education they are married off. Why do people not let girls decide when they want to get married?
In the present time, girls are making their name in every field nationally and internationally. Unfortunately, parents take their daughters’ dreams away by getting them married due to the pressure of relatives and society. Some girls don’t want to get married before becoming financially strong because they want to enjoy a good lifestyle. So, I think people need to ditch the idea that girls’ only aim in life is to choose a life partner. Why do people think that finding a life partner is more crucial as compared to education and career? Why does our society believe that marriage is the be all and end all of a woman’s life? Girls, too, have different kinds of goals they want to achieve.
I wish people can realise there is no specific age for girls to get married. There is nothing wrong with getting married in early 20s but only when girls are willing to do it. Girls can get married whenever they find the right person. At the birth of a girl, parents get to hear ‘Allah naseeb acha keray’ (May God bless her with good luck). What people mean when they pray for a good fate for the girl is that they get a nice partner and a successful marriage – not a good career. People here believe that once a girl crosses her mid-20s, chances of her landing a good proposal become almost non-existent. However, with inflation rate getting higher by the minute, girls should be able to work if circumstances call for it. Girls are not usually given the privilege of making decisions for themselves as they are not financially independent. They rely on their parents first for their financial needs and then on their husbands. Despite being educated and skilled, most of the time they are not allowed to pursue their career, which is really sad.
Should girls marry because their younger sister is waiting for her turn? Or, should they get married because they are fed-up with people asking their parents if there is good news? Is the fact that girls their age are already married a good reason for them to tie the knot? These young women may be budding authors, artists, scientists or professors and have some plans and goals they want to attain. Maybe marriage is not included in their goals, so is it fair to force them to get married because of social norms? Solving this issue will require the people to change their mindsets and allow girls to follow their dreams. After all, marriage should be part of life, not the purpose of life.