As if the working mom guilt was not enough for women already, people often subject them to judgment when they step out of home to work. Socially, when women choose to leave the child at home and step out to work, they have been made to believe that it will be a painful experience. But why make that gender discrimination? Global influencer Diipa Buller Khosla, who harnesses her social presence to spread positive messages around women, body positivity and motherhood, has addressed this very issue in her latest powerful Instagram post.

Diipa proudly wears a T-shirt which reads, “She’s with her dad”. She dedicates the post to all mothers who get asked the question, “Why aren’t you with your kid?” whenever they are either on a business trip or indulging in things for self-care or self-improvement.

“I get asked this question the most when I’m on trips without (my daughter) Dua, but would it be the same if I was a man?” questions fashion and beauty influencer, whose daughter will turn 2 later this year.

This is not the first time that Diipa Buller Khosla has raised a pertinent question on social media. Her thoughts on body positivity and women’s postpartum experiences resonate well with women across boundaries. Even her red carpet appearances rarely come without making a point. In 2021, at the Cannes Film Festival gala, Diipa added breast pumps to her gown. It was an an unforgettable statement about normalising breastfeeding choices by mothers, especially working mothers.

Diipa Buller Khosla on gender-based expectations in parenthood

As someone who always tries to balance her worlds as a mother and as an influencer-cum-entrepreneur, Diipa says she understands her duties as a mother. But at the same time she wonders “how would Dua feel if I sidelined my passions because of this very gendered expectation we only place on women?”

“The reality is it’s so difficult being away from my daughter and she’s never not on my mind. Feeling this deep emotion, however, doesn’t take away from the fact that I am also a very ambitious and hardworking woman who loves building my own legacy that Dua can one day be proud of,” asserts Diipa Buller Khosla, who has an Instagram family of 1.8 million.

To all working mothers who struggle to make a balanced choice and feel the pressure society puts on them to prioritise motherhood just because ‘that’s what women must do’, here’s what she has to say!

“We can experience both emotions without disregarding the other and we can cherish our roles as mothers and still pursue other passions. But ultimately this is a choice, and it is mine to make,” she adds.

Also read: Dear moms, here’s how to strike a work-life balance

Respect a woman’s choice, urges Diipa Buller Khosla

Several women celebrities across the world have asserted the importance of gender equality in the parenting journey. In a HealthShots interview, even writer-filmmaker Tahira Kashyap Khurrana, author of ‘The 7 Sins of Being a Mother’, had addressed how forgiving or unforgiving people are about similar sins being committed by a mother and father.

Check out the interview right here!

According to Diipa, all choices of women must be respected – whether they choose to stay at home with a child or choose to step out and work towards their passion.

“My wish is that we all respect mothers and the choices we make without jumping to label anyone as a ‘bad mother’ when we never know the full story,” concludes the doting mom, who finds comfort in the knowledge that her little daughter would have fun with her father in their “valuable time together”.