Gender Archives - Page 22 of 24

“It Must Be My Fault.” Why Women Find It Difficult to Walk Out of an Abusive Relationship

For years, I lived with my abusive husband and often found myself feeling guilty and begging to make amends. That’s the thing about manipulative relationships. Years of trauma makes you believe that you are incapable of breaking free. It’s called learned helplessness.

Vaishnavi Sundar March 18, 2016

Gender

Devi of Iron

Men don’t look at Vaijayanti Jadhav the way they used to. Her femininity is often questioned. But for this bodybuilder from Mumbai, with strong muscles, comes a strong willpower.

Kripa Krishnan March 18, 2016

Gender

Zero GST Has Made Sanitary Napkins Cheaper But Are They Safer?

For most women who find it difficult to imagine their periods without sanitary pads, cost and features remain the top priority. The GST exemption too aims to serve this mentality. But we should be focusing on, is whether the pad you use for five days a month is harming your body.

Priyanjana Roy March 17, 2016

Gender

House Work is Real Work: Indian Women Deserve to Be Paid for Running Their Households

On the campaign trail in northern Tamil Nadu, actor-politician Kamal Hassan assured payment to homemakers for housework if his party MNM was voted to power, recognising it as unmonetised labour. But the debate around housework in India isn’t new.

Arré Bench March 17, 2016

Gender

What’s Making Us Happy: The Decline in India’s Maternal Mortality Rate

Here’s a reason to cheer on a gloomy day: Our Maternal Mortality Rate has dropped by 22 per cent. That means nearly 1,000 fewer women die because of pregnancy-related complications in the country each month.

Arré Bench March 16, 2016

Gender

We Made It to Sabarimala. What About Our Right to Pray at Home?

Confronting my grandmother about my sister’s participation in a house puja while she was on her period turned into a four-hour screaming match. At the end of it all, grandma allowed her to wash some puja utensils, but I still lost. I could not convince her to change her belief.

Sreemoyee Mukherjee March 16, 2016

Gender

Why Do We Hate Women’s Magazines? They Gave Us Our First Lesson in Feminism After All

The world applauds the woman who cracks the IIT, but immediately gets their knickers in a twist if a woman drinks, parties, or puts herself first. Through the years, women’s magazines have shown women how to fall in love with themselves. Maybe, this is what makes people so uncomfortable.

Ashwina Garg March 16, 2016

Gender

A New Wish for the New Year: #MeToo Must Reach Small Town India, And How Bollywood Can Help

In the small-town imagination, the idea of modernity is borrowed from Bollywood – the feisty Tanu from Tanu Weds Manu, the rebellious Rumi from Manmarziyaan. Where are all the well-rounded girls who are compassionate and caregiving, but fierce and independent? The limitations of this modernity will always come in the way of a small-town MeToo movement.

Manjiri Indurkar March 15, 2016

Gender

The Test of Blood: How Men Would Menstruate

Over the years, menstruation has been rebranded and claimed as the Man’s Syndrome. Ads now display “Man slaying enemies with the help of super XXTRA Wrestler tampons”.

#VALUE! March 14, 2016

Gender

Misogyny Spares No Woman. Not Even Right-Wing Queen Kangana

In the past, Ranaut herself has been guilty of making character judgements of her fellow women based on their appearance or work. Now, that same way of thinking came home to roost for Ranaut as the same people who normally cheer her on rebuked her for posting a bikini photo.

Arré Bench March 13, 2016