The Magic Number

The number 18 has a way of grabbing the spotlight, yes? It is exciting and new and brings with it so many promises. The legal age guarantees new experiences and the excitement that comes with is quite loud.

The number 18 has a way of grabbing the spotlight, yes? It is exciting and new and brings with it so many promises. The legal age guarantees new experiences and the excitement that comes with is quite loud.

It’s when every young woman starts to dream about her future and celebration that it will begin with. The elaborate birthday party sets the mood for her much anticipated adulthood and she eagerly awaits her driver’s license, her first day in college and all the adventure it promises. She waits to move out of her home, to make it on her own and to get started on building the future she imagined herself living in.

In an attempt to understand what the realistic expectations of a young woman turning 18 really are, we asked our 1 million strong Jaagore Facebook community what they considered to be of ‘priority’ at the age of 18. We gave them three options to choose from.
1- A bright career
2- A driver’s license.
3- Their first vote.

The poll results revealed that a larger percentage of the answers revolved around a career and a few seemed keen to drive around on their own. A vote however excited no one.

In a country like India where the youth make 50% of the population, we see so many bright, young and talented women stepping into their adulthood with dreams and expectations waiting to be fulfilled. We see them carefully plan out their future and take every measure to ensure their prosperity and happiness. What we don’t see is these charming young women give their right to vote any credit. Isn’t it about time that changed?