Anti-engagement rings or self-engagement rings come with a message of self love. They are essentially regular engagement rings. The only difference is that they are a little smaller, so you can wear them on your little finger. Celebs like American model, rapper and actress Amber Rose and American singer and actress Lucy Hale have been spotted wearing them, even photosharing website Instagram has many pictures of young women sporting them if you look for the #selflovepinkyring. We quizzed Indian women about the idea of anti-engagement rings and asked them if they would consider wearing one. Here’s what they had to say.
‘Do we really need to shout out our beliefs?’
Yogini Roygaga, media student
It’s a nice concept. However, I don’t get why do we have to prove a point to anyone? Why do we need to shout out our beliefs by sporting a symbolic ring?
Lakshmi Sankaran, media professional
I don’t need to declare anything about myself to the world. If you are truly comfortable in your skin, making these symbolic pronouncements feels unnecessary. I mean, if some women want to do it, so be it. But I think this trend is trying too hard.
Bhavya Sharma, theatre actor
I don’t think wearing a ring on my pinky finger validates anything. A lot of other things validate my love for myself. Taking care of yourself, getting one’s priorities straight, valuing yourself and your well-being is a much better way of expressing self love.
‘It’s not a symbolic pronouncement’
While the above are not very convinced about the need to sport a self-engagement ring, Riddhima Kanetkar, a copy editor in a news agency has actually been sporting one for a while. She says, “While many people misunderstand the idea behind sporting an anti-engagement ring, I have been wearing a self-engagement ring for a while now. It’s not a reflection of my relationship status. It’s a sign of independence and a reminder to myself that no matter how many people come and go in my life, I cannot afford to lose sight of the relationship with myself as no one knows me better than me.”
In the end, whether you choose to sport an anti-engagement ring or not or agree with the idea of one, one thing you can’t dismiss is its relevance — the idea of self love, especially among women, which should be encouraged.
