National Daughters Day: Daughters Support Families While Pursuing Education
**Breaking Stereotypes: Daughters from Bhopal Prove They Are Assets, Not Burdens**
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The traditional notion that daughters are a burden—due to the costs of upbringing, education, and dowry—continues to persist in many communities. Unlike sons, daughters are often seen as unable to support their families financially. However, this stereotype is being challenged by many young women who are proving their worth as pillars of strength.
On the eve of National Daughters Day, Free Press spoke with four young daughters from Bhopal who, despite financial challenges, work hard to support their families while continuing their education. Their inspiring stories demonstrate that daughters are true assets.
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### ‘No one told me to work’
**Aashi Chidar**, 19, lost her mother 12 years ago. Her father drives a rented auto-rickshaw, and her younger brother is still in school. To support her family, Aashi teaches Grade 3 children for Rs 2,200 a month.
“I am up at 6 am, leave at 11 am for a nearby school, return by 4 pm to give tuitions, then do household work. Close to midnight, I study,” she shares. Aspiring to become an SSP (Senior Superintendent of Police), Aashi has applied for constable recruitment and an SSC exam. “My father never told me to work; I chose to support him on my own,” she adds.
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### ‘Taunts don’t bother me’
At 20, **Khushi** has worked as a Rapido rider for three years while preparing for her Grade 12 exams as a private candidate. Her father is a daily-wage labourer, and her mother is a housewife.
Khushi works from 8 am to 12 noon and again in the evening, earning about Rs 500 a day. “I keep some money for myself and give the rest to my mother,” she says. Facing taunts is common; an auto driver once told her a young girl shouldn’t work as a Rapido rider. But Khushi ignores such remarks and continues to push forward.
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### ‘Ghar ki madad’
**Aarti Prajapati**, 21, juggles multiple roles—working for an NGO, teaching at a coaching institute, and stitching clothes at home. Although her total monthly earnings are less than Rs 10,000, they significantly help her family, which includes her father (a manual laborer), her housewife mother, and three younger siblings.
Currently pursuing a BA in Humanities from Bhoj Open University, Aarti says, “Mere kaam se ghar mein madad ho jaati hai” (My work helps at home). While she initially hoped to join the police force, she is too short for the physical requirements and now aims to become a teacher.
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### ‘Budhape ka sahara’
“In my community, parents don’t send daughters to school. I know the importance of education,” says **Zeenat Khan**, 21. Her father drives a loading auto, and she has three sisters. She often hears the saying that without a son, parents have no “budhape ka sahara” (support in old age).
Zeenat strongly disagrees with this notion. Working with an NGO, she teaches children in her basti and has enrolled in an MBA program after graduation. “Daughters are not a burden; they are an asset. They don’t represent weakness, they represent strength,” she affirms.
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These young women from Bhopal are not just challenging outdated mindsets—they are rewriting their own stories and inspiring others to recognize the true value of daughters as contributors, supporters, and sources of strength in their families and communities.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/bhopal/national-daughters-day-daughters-support-families-while-pursuing-education
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