As a second or third generation South Asian woman, growing up in the UK can bring its challenges.

Some of the issues you may encounter:

Cultural Duality – Having to navigate between individualistic values of British society and more traditional Asian values, can create an internal conflict about your identity, leading to feelings of confusion, isolation and not having a sense of belonging.

Cultural Expectations – You may feel torn between wanting to live as your wholehearted self and fitting in with cultural expectations. Whether you put your own desires aside or go against the wishes of others, you could be left with feelings such as guilt, shame, sadness or anxiety. This can all have a knock-on effect on how you feel about yourself, your self-esteem.

Academic and Career pressures – There may be a pressure to succeed or to choose career paths that don’t fit with your true self, which may be making you feel unhappy, stuck, stressed or unfulfilled.

Gender Roles-You may be expected to adhere to traditional gender roles, which can limit your freedom and opportunities compared to your male counterparts

Family and Relationship Issues – In addition to the factors mentioned above, there may also be pressure to marry within your cultural or religious community. These can all create challenges in relationships with parents, your spouse, in-laws and others.

Racism and Discrimination-On a wider scale, you may also be up against racism in the form of micro aggressions or bullying in the world around you.

Intergenerational trauma– As first-generation immigrants, your parents may have experienced significant trauma. This can be passed on to subsequent generations, in the form of overprotectiveness, high expectations, emphasis on cultural preservation and transmitting their fears and anxieties to their children.