While walking down the hustling and bustling streets of the country, we have witnessed life-size signboards of businesses screaming the names of the owner and the sons hoarded outside on display. 'Sons' and 'brothers' - usage of these suffixes have been an age-old tradition, used majorly to assert that a particular business is 'established' or affirms property ownership.
However, amid the busy streets of Srinagar's Lal Chowk, a norm shattering signboard which reads 'Javed Sheikh & daughters' has surfaced on social media.
Javed Sheikh & daughters: The norm shattering signboard
Tucked in the narrow streets of the wholesale market of Koker Bazaar, Maisuma consisting of shops mainly Kirana stores, this signboard is hoarded on an old brick building. The 'Javed Sheikh and daughters' signboard has garnered a tremendous amount of appreciation from netizens not just in India but across the border, too.
While business in the country are often named after sons, this merchant's shop proudly displays 'Javed Sheikh & daughters'. Usually missed out by passersby, the picture of the signboard board was captured and shared originally by Raihana Maqbool, a journalist based out of Kashmir.
'Make this a norm not an exception': Signboard sparks discussion
The billboard is one such example of breaking gender stereotype in a society that passes on the family name, business directly to the sons, however deserving the daughter may be. 'Salute to the father' and other comments started flooding social media lauding the owner for giving his daughters the due credit they deserved setting an example to make this a norm, not an exception.
The signboard has now sparked a conversation on social media where netizens are talking about how women are equally the rightful owners of family businesses and properties. Some were of the opinion that this signboard speaks volumes on how women need not be empowered as they already are, it is the society that needs to reform.
