The Beauty Trap in Kashmir

The obsession with appearance is changing how Kashmiri girls see themselves, and how society sees them.

- Seerat Lone

A few days ago, I attended a Kashmiri wedding, one of those grand, colourful affairs that seem to bring the entire community together.

The smell of Wazwan filled the air, songs of celebration echoed through the night, and relatives in shimmering pherans and sequined shawls moved from one room to another, laughing, teasing, clicking photos.

It was everything a Kashmiri wedding promises to be: loud, warm, and full of life.

But, as I stood among the guests, I noticed something unsettling.

Young women, dressed in their finest, were being scanned from head to toe.

Their clothes, makeup, and even weight was being discussed in low voices that often carried louder than intended.

Compliments sounded like judgments, and laughter carried a hint of comparison.

That night, it struck me how deeply our society links a woman's worth with how she looks, not with who she is.