It is heartbreaking how our society raises women to be mothers, nurturers, household caretakers, and caregivers. They never focus on raising them to be financially independent. Irrespective of whether they belong to towns or villages, the stories of how women are left alone to struggle as they move out of abusive marriage remain the same.
But, one thing that ties all of them together is the undying courage that they exhibit to build their lives and give their kids a better future. Society may perceive women as weak – physically and emotionally and remains blinded towards the strengths that women displayed during a family struggle. But, we won’t. At IFORHER, we bring to you stories of immense women’s courage, which needs to be celebrated.
Here is one such story of a mother, who was cheated and humiliated by the person she loved very much. Raised in the village, she may not have a lot of avenues to build a life of dignity for her daughter but she definitely had courage and hope.
While sharing her inspiring story with HoB, she mentioned how she was humiliated and cheated by her husband:
“After I gave birth to my daughter, my husband started having an extra marital affair. I loved him very much, so I tried to bring him back to me but he began to treat me really badly — he wouldn’t even look at me. When I confronted him about this other woman he said, ‘it happens in every family– at least I’m giving you a place to stay, so you shouldn’t complain.’
Recalling how her husband not only tortured her but also her daughter, she mentioned:
He didn’t give me any money for anything, so I began to do odd jobs in my village to make sure that my daughter and I could at least survive.
One evening she fell really sick and I begged him to give me some money to treat her, but he refused. I was so ashamed to ask my parents for money, but I had no other choice. That day however, I made a choice that I would never feel that helpless again.
With her determination to never feel helpless again, she pushed herself to create a life of dignity:
I left my daughter with my parents, left my husband and came to Bombay to find some work. I’ve been working as domestic help for a few years now, and I’ve been able to educate my daughter as well as pay for the expenses of my parents. Every month, I save a little money so that I can build a better house for all of us in my village and little by little that dream is coming true as well.
In the closing lines, she not only recalled her happiest moments of pride but also shared a strong and powerful message:
My happiest moments are when I go back to my village and my family looks at me with pride in their eyes. My daughter wants to become a teacher and my parents want to visit Bombay…I can’t wait to make all this happen for them. As for my husband–I haven’t looked back since.
I have a point to prove that just because he gives me a small space in his house doesn’t mean he can disrespect me– as a woman, I’m more than enough to support myself and my family and I don’t ‘need’ him for anything.”
At IFORHER, we are in awe of her courage as she fought her life circumstances to create a life of dignity. It is inspiring how she refused to feel helpless after she was left to struggle alone with her daughter.
We hope her story will inspire many more souls to stand for themselves and create a life that they deserve. Because, whatever society may tell you about women being weak and helpless, we are not. We are brave and courageous! Â
