By Swetha Vijapurapu
It has been over 70 years of independence in the land of the Indian subcontinent with various degrees of development hence happening, showing consistent power and the potential Indians hold on the globe.
There have been rising issues, technological discoveries, and lifestyle changes. Multinational corporation (MNC) giants such as TATA and Reliance have paved their way to the top of the world. With it came the representation of Indians on a global platform with new ambitions, new success stories, new challenges, and new perspectives.
It strikes me into wonder as I think about one of the most talked-about topics among my friends and me, “Brown Girl Guilt.” ‘Is it true?’, asked one of my friends. It has nothing to do with the color of the skin, but to date, there is a dilemma/doubt when a brown girl makes bold decisions.
Why does such a thing even exist?
We come from a society where traditions and culture are part and parcel of life. Being overambitious seems to appear to violate them. There has been this ongoing ‘Brown Girl Guilt’ whenever a girl tries to make decisions that are progressive to her life. It is not completely as it is pictured in the movies, but you get to have a default list of dos and don’ts.
I started analyzing them since I have been in the UK. A lot of it had to do with my career. Having a global ambition among us is hardly seen, as all the decisions have to be aligned with whatever seems acceptable to your peers.
This is something I have felt on a personal note, as all the females who work extremely hard and achieve a level of success beyond society’s comfort level are questioned. Normalizing the fact that a brown girl can achieve global success is still hard to find. There aren’t as many brown women representing the world in cinema or music as there are in the other races.
History has marked the success of empowered women, and none walked a path free from negativity or doubt. Female success is rarely as appreciated as male success, as it all comes down to duties and diligence.
Achieving success can be normalized and brown girls having global dreams is completely okay. It is sometimes the fear that stops us from acting on the dream.
There is yet a lot that Indian women can break barriers. Up until recently we only have Priyanka Chopra, Mindy Kaling, and a few handfuls of brown women representing on the global platform.
As we start another decade in the 2000s, I believe there will be more girls of my race, on the top, with fearless ambition.
