BECAUSE I AM A GIRL, I MUST STUDY – POEM
A father
asks his daughter:
asks his daughter:
Study? Why
should you study?
should you study?
I have sons
aplenty who can study
aplenty who can study
Girl, why
should you study?
should you study?
The
daughter tells her father:
daughter tells her father:
Since you
ask, here’s why I must study.
ask, here’s why I must study.
Because I am a girl, I must study.
Long denied
this right, I must study
this right, I must study
For my
dreams to take flight, I must study
dreams to take flight, I must study
Knowledge
brings new light, so I must study
brings new light, so I must study
For the
battles I must fight, I must study
battles I must fight, I must study
Because I am a girl, I must study.
To avoid
destitution, I must study
destitution, I must study
To win
independence, I must study
independence, I must study
To fight
frustration, I must study
frustration, I must study
To find
inspiration, I must study
inspiration, I must study
Because I am a girl, I must study.
To fight
men’s violence, I must study
men’s violence, I must study
To end my
silence, I must study
silence, I must study
To
challenge patriarchy I must study
challenge patriarchy I must study
To demolish
all hierarchy, I must study.
all hierarchy, I must study.
Because I
am a girl, I must study.
am a girl, I must study.
To mould a
faith I can trust, I must study
faith I can trust, I must study
To make
laws that are just, I must study
laws that are just, I must study
To sweep
centuries of dust, I must study
centuries of dust, I must study
To
challenge what I must, I must study
challenge what I must, I must study
Because I
am a girl, I must study.
am a girl, I must study.
To know
right from wrong, I must study.
right from wrong, I must study.
To find a
voice that is strong, I must study
voice that is strong, I must study
To write
feminist songs I must study
feminist songs I must study
To make a
world where girls belong, I must study.
world where girls belong, I must study.
Because I am a girl, I must study.
— Kamla
Bhasin
Bhasin