Overview

Pallabi from Calcutta, by way of Assam, and Nivedita from Coimbatore, met in sunny California while pursuing their Master’s at the University of California, Los Angeles. These women with big dreams bonded over their desire to run rein-free through life and pay no heed to anyone who tried to impose gender stereotypes on them. Both Nivedita and Pallabi benefited tremendously from several towering women they came across during the course of life, their accomplishments a reminder that dreams do come true. Behind these achievements are many trials and tribulations, and at some point, the arrival of a letter offering admission to a prestigious institution or program, a sappy love letter from an old boyfriend, or perhaps, a letter of pride from a parent. In the summer of 2020, they created an Instagram page, @lettersforourgirls, to curate many such letters, of power and dreams fulfilled, received by South Asian women around the world. It is an initiative for little, or big, girls of South Asian origin to see that they are intrinsically powerful, and good enough for anything they may choose to do. It is also to help families of South Asian origin see a future for their daughters that is beyond cultural constructs and gender stereotypes.