Empowering Moms: Fostering Daughter’s Dreams

In today’s society, a woman’s life revolves around marriage, from birth to adulthood, where she must sacrifice her hopes and aspirations to sustain relationships with her husband and his family. Pratima Das, born in Dakshin Kashinagar, experienced this firsthand. Neglected as the eldest of her two siblings, she excelled academically, dreaming of achieving fame and success through further education. However, her parents shattered her ambitions by arranging her marriage to secure the future of her younger sisters.

As her educational journey abruptly ended, Pratima became a mother to two daughters. Determined to break the cycle of sacrifice, she joined MUKTI as a member of the women’s group under the ACV project in Heramba Gopalpur. Empowered by training on gender equity, guardianship, and the importance of marriage, Pratima was inspired to challenge prevailing customs and ensure her daughters had the opportunities she had missed.

As marriage proposals came for her elder daughter, Pratima staunchly refused, determined to shield her from the same fate she had endured. Instead, she fought against societal norms, prioritizing her daughter’s education and enrolling her in a dance school. She instilled in her daughter the belief that she had the power to make her own decisions and that no one could stand in her way.

Today, Pratima’s elder daughter is preparing for her higher secondary examinations, a testament to her mother’s unwavering dedication and defiance of tradition. Pratima’s remarkable journey exemplifies a mother’s relentless pursuit to break the shackles of societal expectations and secure a brighter future for her daughters.