36: The Female Lens: The Cost of Being Yourself

What I noticed about women’s roles, women’s safety, and motherhood under pressure, returning to my roots after 25 years.What does it cost a woman to be herself… and what does it take to stay true without shrinking?In this episode, I’m sharing my honest debrief of India through one lens: the cost of being a woman — in the roles women are expected to live, in the body, and in motherhood.I’m speaking from the viewpoint of a British-Indian woman returning to Gujarat for the first time in 25 years, travelling with my family and my daughter. But this isn’t only about India. Every culture has its unspoken rules for women — different wording, same undertone: be good, be quiet, fit the mould.As you listen, I want you to ask: what were the unspoken rules for women in your world?In this episode, I explore:Society: the difference between choice and expectation, and what I noticed about the lives midlife women were expected to live where I stayedBody: the quiet vigilance women carry, and the moment I realised confidence and relaxation are not the same thingMotherhood: what happens when matriarch dynamics come back online, and what it can cost to hold your authority as a mother when pressure comes from the people closest to youIf this episode landed for you, please share it with one woman who needs it. And if you feel like sharing, I’d love to hear: what were the unspoken rules for women in your culture or family system?Prefer to watch? Catch this and all episodes on YouTube✨ If this episode speaks to you, please follow the show, leave a review, or share it with a friend. Your support helps get this work into more women’s hearts, and that means the world to me 🙏