The deeply entrenched gender bias in India is something which nobody can deny. Since my childhood, I used to observe how a girl and a boy are treated differently in society. Daughters in India are nurtured in a totally different manner compared to the privileged sons. The bias is so well rooted that it is not limited only to the treatment given to girls vis-a-vis boys or the privileges they enjoy. But there is a clear cut demarcation between the professions that can be pursued by our sons and daughters.
So one such profession that is apparently prohibited for girls is that of a barber. Even in metros, you will hardly find women doing the job of a barber in men's salon, leave alone in small villages. With such a situation around, I came across a piece in some newspaper about the men's barbershop run by two daughters of an old barber. Can you guess where it might be? Not in Mumbai, Delhi or Chennai. It's in Banwari Tola, a small, remote and backward village in Uttar Pradesh, India. Believe it or not but that's the fact. Neha and Jyoti are running this salon in a small village after their father got ill. So these brave girls, challenging all the odds, societal mindsets, and biases, took over the salon. And even the villagers are now supporting them.
Such tiny rays of hope in today's age of turmoil, chaos, and skepticism make me stronger and give new vigor. There can be many Neha and Jyoti around you also. Please support them, at least help in making the environment conducive for them so that they can pursue whatever they want.
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