Virginity For Sale?
The internet was taken by storm after a tweet of a product on an online portal promised to restore the hymen went viral! We spoke with women and here’s what they say
As girls, we’ve been warned not to play with boys, participate in sports, lift heavy things, etc! When we realised that all of these restrictions are to protect our virtue the world begun to frighten us! For over centuries a girl is considered pure and eligible for marriage only if she’s a virgin. You think this notion stands true even till today? Well, a popular ecommerce website sure does! A recent tweet sent shock waves through the online community when a twitteratti posted an image of a product that was sold (taken down now) on the portal. The product claimed to restore your virginity. In aim to understand the psyche behind selling such a product we spoke to women in the city!
Debolina Ray a product manager at a company feels that, historically and culturally there is an obsession with women’s virginity. She says, “Nowadays we don’t come across many cases, but, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. The fact that products like these are being marketed and sold, shows the social pressure that families and girls undergo to adhere to these expectations. I believe this is something we need to grow out of, as it is outdated and irrelevant.”
Kavya Srinivas suggests that the portal could rather focus on menstrual hygiene products. She says, “Women are beautiful the way they are and there is no necessity to fake virginity. The mere tear of a tissue cannot define a woman’s character. Such products will set us back in the quest to become a developed and unbiased society.”
Speaking about why women would buy such a product, Nisha Khanna a psychologist believes that the societal pressure plays a vital role. She opines, “Women advancing in the present world is sort of making men more insecure and linger with a primitive mindset of looking for a virgin woman to marry while they are not. Girls are heading out to buy such products because the demand for virgin women decides their fate. Hence, women are adopting such products due to the pondering pressure from the family and society.”
Pavani, a secondary school teacher says, “While it is important to teach students about their safety, it is also important to explain that indulging in intercourse is the choice of an individual. Also, it is important to teach what they ought to know at the right age. Such myths mostly are adopted by kids due to the primitive mindsets in families. The society should respect everyone’s choices in life irrespective of their gender. It is essential for the government to imbibe a curriculum with the relevant education needed!”
“The mere tear of a tissue cannot define a woman’s character. Such products will set us back in becoming an unbiased society.”
— KAVYA SRINIVAS