Before being a daughter to your parents, before being a sister to your brother, before being a wife to your husband, before being a mother to your children, you are first and foremost a person. And that should always be your prime goal in life: to protect and nurture the person you are.

So often, people push you to remain who you once were. They expect you to continue playing roles that you may have already outgrown. They want you to behave in ways that protect their comfort and preserve the equilibrium they are used to. Sometimes they push you to become someone you never truly relate to, simply because it fits the version of you they find convenient. And slowly, in trying to meet those expectations, the real you begins to fade.The struggle of a woman to claim the identity she deserves is never easy.

It comes with resistance, judgment, and silent battles that rarely receive acknowledgment. It is nowhere easier for her than it is for a man of equal capacity in this society. Even in 2026, we are still witnessing the same patterns. A woman is judged for how she talks, how she walks, how she dresses, and how she chooses to live her life. She is observed, evaluated, and often criticized simply for being herself.

These struggles are real. They are not distant memories from another era. They are present, ongoing realities. Being a woman can sometimes feel like being at war within yourself fighting for the identity you deserve, searching for validation you should never have to seek, holding on to the freedom that already belongs to you, protecting the personal space you need to breathe.

The emotional weight of it all can be overwhelming.When I see successful women like Sunita Williams, I often wonder whether she had to face similar invisible battles. Did she have to defend her choices before fully owning her journey? Did she have to silence the noise around her to hear her own voice clearly?Our choices play a powerful role in claiming the freedom we deserve. But choosing independence, choosing to remain unmarried, choosing to carry the responsibility of life on your own shoulders, these decisions demand courage in a society that still questions a woman’s autonomy. It is never an easy path to walk.The stress a woman experiences when making these choices is immense.

Sometimes she has to surrender her mental peace just to protect her identity. That silent struggle, the one few speak about openly, is very real. I truly believe no mother should have to watch her daughter endure the same battles for identity that she once faced. And yet, I hold on to hope. At the end of the tunnel, there is light. The struggles of today are shaping a better tomorrow. Every woman who stands firm in who she is creates space for the next woman to breathe more freely.

Always stand for your identity. Never let it go for the comfort or approval of anyone else. Before you are anything to anyone, you are you. And that is enough.