In many Indian households, girls are raised to be polite, pleasing, and passive. While these qualities are often celebrated, they come with an unspoken rule-suppress any emotion, impulse, or ambition that challenges the status quo. As a result, generations of Indian women carry deep shame around four fundamental aspects of their human experience: anger, desire, sexuality, and ambition.
This internalized shame isn't just personal-it's cultural, systemic, and intergenerational. And its impact on women's mental health, confidence, and sense of self is far-reaching.

Shame Around Anger

Anger is a natural response to injustice and unmet needs. But in Indian culture, women who express anger are often labeled as "hysterical," "ill-mannered," or "disrespectful." From a young age, girls are taught to smile through discomfort, to prioritize harmony over truth. Over time, this results in repressed rage, passive-aggression, or self-directed frustration. Women are left feeling guilty for emotions that were never wrong to begin with

Shame Around Desire

Desire-whether emotional, physical, or spiritual-is another terrain filled with taboo. A woman who expresses what she wants is seen as selfish or demanding. Whether it's wanting space, rest, pleasure, or power, desire becomes something to hide. This disconnection from longing creates a split: women stop asking themselves, "What do I truly want?" and start performing who they think they should be

Shame Around Sexuality

Sexuality is perhaps the most silenced part of a woman's identity. Despite India's rich pre-colonial history of sensual art and tantric wisdom, colonial morality and patriarchal control have made female sexuality a source of stigma. Girls are shamed for dressing "too much," for being curious, or for expressing attraction. Women often carry shame around their bodies, pleasure, and sexual autonomy-even within marriage. This disconnection can lead to guilt, numbness, or deep confusion about what healthy sexuality looks like.