"Being childfree is still a battle that I choose to fight everyday."

“I’m from a typical middle class family in south India, where women are expected to follow a template style of life - study, get a job, marry and have children, quit the job and take care of the kids.

From a very young age I knew that this life didn’t make sense. Seeing women die of rape and medical negligence in the news daily made me question everything around me. Society is somehow designed in a way where we can never thrive or live a fulfilling life.

I made a decision to go childfree because of the state of the economy, and my personal decision to make my inner child happy and be the person my younger self would go to if she needed advice. I’m married to the love of my life and have foughtg against all odds to build my career and find purpose in this lifetime.

I have successfully cut out relatives and acquaintances who are more worried about whether I’ll have kids or not. It’s still a battle that I choose to fight everyday. So many women have spoken up to me regarding such a decision in the city I live in, it makes me feel less lonely. I respect mothers and respect kids, but I too wish parents don’t judge me for my decision and desire to exist freely in this world.” ⁠