The Fabric of Duty: Weight of Heritage

Tradition is something which is rarely neutral and even today in families and institutions, its weight falls on women first. This story begins with a mascot I designed for the school library newsletter which was meant to represent the library. Seems like a pretty simple idea right?.. Well not really.

I wanted the mascot to be designed in such a way that there is a subtle mix of tradition with something fresh by making the mascot wear a dress but with a design of the embroidery style of Punjab which is Phulkari portraying the idea that you can still be connected to your cultural roots while wearing whatever you want. My idea was accepted by the school faculty and I kept working on it.

Yet, when the day of the shortlisting of the logo arrived, the mascot wearing a traditional dress was chosen and when I asked for the reason behind this decision, my question was simply brushed off by calling the chosen one "more appealing" and "less objectionable".

An animated mascot was sexualised and called objectionable for school standards because it was wearing a sleeveless dress. In the hunt for "modesty" the real idea behind the mascot was totally overlooked upon and the main concern suddenly shifted to what the mascot was wearing. That left me speechless, and maybe that was the moment I realized how deeply this still exists, even in a so-called modern school library that called its newsletter ‘cultural’ and claimed to embrace progressive ideas, including LGBTQ+ voices.

But when it came to girls being connected to their culture while wearing what they wanted? That suddenly became a problem. No one questions whether a boy represents culture appropriately, it’s always the woman who has to perform it, carry it, wear it perfectly, and fit someone else’s idea of tradition.

And this is not just about a mascot, even school uniforms for girls are traditional outfits, whereas boys get to wear neutral formals.

Society never pauses to ask whether a man is connected to his culture. His identity is assumed. A woman’s, on the other hand, is constantly questioned, measured, and corrected. Culture becomes something she carries on her body, not something she is allowed to define.

What makes this even more exhausting is how this expectation is disguised as respect. Women are told they are ‘preserving culture,’ as if it’s an honor, when in reality it’s a responsibility they never asked for. The idea of saving the heritage has become gendered, as if women are the sole protectors of culture without any choice.

Tradition becomes less about belonging and more about obedience, about dressing right, behaving right, representing something larger than yourself. And the moment a woman tries to redefine what that representation looks like, she’s told it’s inappropriate, unnecessary, or simply not ‘appealing’ enough.

Like, when did clothing become about association with culture rather than a garment you cover your body with? And why not wear it according to your choice rather than trying to fit in the society's so-called standards?

Maybe culture isn’t fading the way people fear it is. Maybe it’s just tired of being carried by the same shoulders. Until we stop asking women to prove their connection to heritage through what they wear, tradition will remain less about identity and more about control. Culture doesn’t need guardians , rather it needs space to breathe.