Women with Short Hair in India revealed it is liberating for them but it makes them too opinionated for society!
Highlights
- Itne Chote baal – Ladka ho Kya, how women are judged for keeping short hair
- How Short hair in India is seen as a negative trait?
Are you Deepika Padukone? No, right? Then how can you keep short hair? Keeping short hair in India is indeed a big deal. After all, long locks toh aurat ka gehna hota hai. When it comes to women, they are judged for everything. From their professional choices to even the type of hair she wants to keep. Recently, we have seen that short hair is in trend. From Deepika Padukone to Anushka Sharma, leading ladies are giving us major short hair goals. But in India, short hair are associated with modern, opinionated and ambitious women. Interestingly, all these traits are considered negative. Women with short hair in India on the internet revealed that they were judged for keeping short hair.
A study done by Doverevealed that 71 percent of Indians think short and colored hair is less beautiful. Apart from it, 87 percent of Indians believe that long and straight is more beautiful. For many women, chopping off their hair represents a fresh start and self -acceptance. However, for many short hair means – An overly ambitious woman who could be a threat to patriarchal society that functions within rigid gender representations.
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Woman’s hair is equated with her beauty and often women with short hair are believed to be fiercely independent and opinionated. To simply put, society fears women who voice out their opinions without mincing their words.
Women feel pressure to keep long hair
Many women in India are taught to measure their femininity through the length of our hair. For women, long hair is a beauty standard and many fear to chop it off. A lot of women revealed that they were judged for keeping short hair.
A 25- year – old woman revealed her relative told her mother how she will get married? Kitne Chote baal hai. She also revealed that people used to call her tomboy because of the length of her hair.
Another 26 year old woman revealed my momma never allowed me to chop off my hair when I was in school. In fact, the first time I decided to cut my hair short, she was quite furious.
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People give you names – Par Kati, Yeh Kya Karva liya. But it’s completely our choice. Short hair makes me feel confident, said a 21 year College student.
One of my relatives said – Kaafi Modern lagti hai, ghar chala legi kya? Yes, I was judged for keeping short hair, a 32 year old, Delhi based woman revealed.
Recently, Mandira Bedi also opened about keeping short hair and how length of her hair stereotyped her for certain roles. During an interview, Mandira said, after chopping off my hair I was offered 5- 10 cop roles and 5-6 negative characters.
How Ads and Shows feed us with the idea that a Good Woman who makes all sacrifices has long hair?
Over the years, we have watched ads where long locks are shown as beauty symbols for women. In many Indian shows and films, the protagonist always has long hair. Women with short hair are either in negative characters or cop/Journalist.
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The short hair trend in India is not new – Our first female Prime Minister Indira Gandhi too had short hair. She was a woman with vision. Indira Gandhi was fierce and Independent. But she loved her country and her values. To simply put, the length of your hair doesn’t make you any less of a woman. A woman with short hair has the same values as a woman with long hair. A woman’s character and her values cannot be judged on her hairstyle.
Conclusion
If you want to cut your hair, cut it. It’s okay to stop pleasing society. Say no to social standards and do what you feel is right. Short hair doesn’t make you any less of a woman!
