Posted inGender
The Silent Survivors of “Legitimate” Rape
Some women have been raped with unmentionable objects; some have been stripped naked. All victims of marital rape, their only refuge is a room at Mumbai’s KB Bhabha Hospital.
Posted inGender
Aziz Ansari and the Deafening Silence of Non-consent
After #MeToo and #TimesUp and seemingly ceaseless stories of sexual assault by famous, much-loved men, I dug up my own. Just like the girl in Aziz Ansari’s apartment, why didn’t I just leave? Maybe, because my body went into tonic immobility.
Posted inGender
“Will You Marry Her?” It’s Not a Question that Should Be Thrown at a Rapist. Definitely Not By the SC
In a shocking statement, the Supreme Court today asked a government employee seeking protection from arrest whether he would marry a woman who has accused him of repeated rape. Whom are we protecting here? Definitely not the survivor.
Posted inGender
“Wife No Object”: This HC Ruling on “Skewed Patriarchy” Should Be Required Reading in Every Home
Refusing to grant leeway to a man who attacked his wife for not making tea, which led to her death, the Bombay High Court said, “A wife is not a chattel or an object. Marriage ideally is a partnership based on equality.” Sadly, this idea of the wife being the husband’s property is all too common in India.
Posted inGender
Arré Checklist: Fairy Tales for a Post-#MeToo World
The Disney Princess trope has long been bashed as reductive and anti-feminist, but here are some fairy-tale heroines who are just as #fierce as Beyoncé.
Posted inGender
Dear Indian Woman, Say Goodbye to Privacy, Freedom. Now They Want to Track Your Movements
Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that a system will be put in place where a working woman would have to register herself at the police station, and she will be tracked for her safety. Sounds straight out of The Handmaid’s Tale, doesn’t it?
Posted inGender
When Did India Become Ashamed About Breastfeeding in Public?
Breastfeeding was perfectly normal in our culture that otherwise advocates modesty for women. Possibly because we celebrate and eulogise motherhood to such an extent that we’ve completely denuded an exposed breast of all sexuality. So what’s with our newfound coyness around breastfeeding?
Posted inGender
The Fault in Our Bollywood Bodies
Back in the ’90s, Bollywood actresses had bodies that were whole, full, and jutting out in parts. At that time, we could be them and they could be us. But the perfectly crafted bodies of younger actresses have stripped us of that joy.
Posted inGender
Why Do India’s Successful Women Shy Away from the Feminist Tag?
From Smriti Irani to Kareena Kapoor, there’s no greater irony than successful women in the public eye shying away from the word “feminism” as if it were something toxic. To say you believe in equality but aren’t a feminist is like ordering Jain chicken – it may make sense to you, but it defies logic.
Posted inGender
Spider-Man, Your Friendly Neighbourhood House Husband
Spider-Man is on a new mission now. After setting the world right, he’s ready to set his home right. What good are his superpowers if he can’t make the dishes sparkle, the carpet bright, and the floors shiny and white?