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posted on 12 February, 2021
A Platform to Prosper
“Give a man a fish and you have fed him for a day. Teach him to fish and you have fed him for a lifetime!” This proverb couldn’t be any more apt. Every child in our country has the right to education. Unfortunately, the vast economic disparity in our society doesn’t allow this ...
posted on 26 February, 2021
भारतीय महिलाओं के नाम एक खुला पत्र
आप भारत की निवासी हैं। आप अपने करों का भुगतान करती हैं। आप एक सुंदर घर चलाती हैं और आप अपने परिवार की देखभाल करत�...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Using the power of sport for empowering India’s girls
The T20 World Cup 2016 saw an unprecedented spike in Indian media coverage of the women’s T20 matches. Social networking sites buzzed with posts about the women’s match against Pakistan and slogans like Chak De India and Jeetay ga bhai jeetay ga reverberated in the stadium, just like t...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Why is Financial Independence for Women Important?
Oxford Dictionaries defines empowerment as ‘making (someone) stronger, more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights’. There are several organizations, activists and campaigns like Going to School and Sarathi Development Foundation that advocate wome...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Talking to ‘Empowered Indian Women’ on International Women’s Day
It is the International Women’s Day - a day for us to celebrate women all over the world, and why not? We have made huge progress in overcoming age-old gender biases. Violence against the Indian woman is being addressed, and women are turning up in increasing numbers to vote (Bih...
posted on 04 March, 2021
The good Indian girl: Is it a norm that we need to question?
“Yaar, this never happens to good girls”, remarked a friend casually in a moment of whiskey aided candor during a heated debate. “This” referred to the rape and sexual violence that Jyoti Singh faced in 2012. Normally, I would have asked what he meant by a g...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Is the fate of the girl child in India changing?
In a country where, child sex ratio has declined from 945 in 1991 to 914 in 2011, the significance of the National Girl Child Day, observed and commemorated on 24th of January every year, cannot be overemphasised. Subsequently, the observance of this day, earmarked for raising awarenes...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Fight Dowry, not 498A
One woman dies every hour due to dowry harassment in India. * The anti-dowry harassment law (498A) has helped women gain confidence to come and report domestic abuse, but there has been an increasing anger towards it. As the debate continues on the use and misuse of it, we decided ...
posted on 04 March, 2021
What is the story behind menstrual myths?
Shock and shame – this is how most women in south Asia remember the onset of their menstrual cycle, and it changes their world entirely. The greatest irony is that menstruation is absolutely essential for survival and perpetuation of humankind, but most societies don’t want...
posted on 04 March, 2021
How Bangalore is tackling gender bias, one school at a time
“Girls shouldn’t wear short skirts and boys shouldn’t be weak.” What do you think is wrong with this statement? Or do you think there is nothing wrong at all? We have come to a stage where two year old girls are being raped and more than 42% girls are ab...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Highlights of the year 2015 in India
The Republic Day Parade This year’s Republic Day parade saw the US President, Barack Obama gracing the function as our country’s first ever international chief guest. This event also saw an all-women contingent march down Rajpath, making it the first time ever that we s...
posted on 04 March, 2021
8 reactions to ridiculous headlines
Many times in a newspaper, we've come across headlines that put victims of sexual crimes in a very poor, judgemental light by the media. Its precedence is set in such a way that it seems like the victim was at fault for provoking the perpetrator of the crime, even though they are n...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Why are we ashamed of Menstruation?
Menstruating women are impure and so they should not go to temples during their periods - As absurd as this seems, it is a common belief in our country. Many such myths lead to taboos, which in turn result in discrimination against women. Hence, menstruation is associated with shame an...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Reacting V/S Responding - Why do we regress when it comes to Rape?
"Rape is nobody's fault but one has to dress desirably" Why is this statement wrong? Arguably, there are two very wrong claims in this comment - one that rape is "nobody's fault", and that one has to "dress desirably" so that nothing such a...
posted on 04 March, 2021
An ode to people who blame the victim
If you were walking on the road and suddenly a dog or a pack of dogs attacked you; to Whom would you blame? The dog or yourself? Obviously you would blame the dog, as you were just peacefully minding your own business. Now, what if people around you who heard of your plight, blamed...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Monthly experiences that are too embarrassing to share
“Stop PMSing!” “You and your mood swings!” How many times have you said or heard these statements? Too often would be true. Our society tends to mask menstruation behind banal and trivial comments. Women on their period are stigmatised and are made to beli...
posted on 04 March, 2021
5 Reasons why women in Odisha do not work after marriage
How does a society become instrumental in encouraging its women to pursue their career aspirations? While this question is vital anywhere, it is especially significant to be asked and addressed in the case of Odisha. Odisha is one of the most unfavourable places for women's dev...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Society & Stereotyping of Women
Gender is the way a society differentiates between men and women and their roles or place in the society. Stereotype is a fixed idea or image that many people associate to a particular type of person or thing, which is often not true in reality. Gender stereotypes are assumptions about char...
posted on 04 March, 2021
So You Want Women’s Safety In Delhi?
Going by the saturated coverage it has received, the whole country as one is horrified and infuriated by the gang rape of the Delhi woman that took place in a chartered bus earlier this week. Opinions on TV, radio and the internet are flying thick and fast and now everyone has a point of vi...
posted on 04 March, 2021
An Open Letter To All Indian Women
You are a resident of India. You pay your taxes. You work. You have a beautiful home and you take great pains in maintaining it. You give great thought to your wardrobe, ensure that all deadlines are met at work, spend time with your family and meet friends and relatives as a...
posted on 04 March, 2021
5 unique individuals bringing freedom back to India
It is the eve of the 67th Independence Day in India. Over six decades have gone by since our forefathers laid down their lives for an Independent India. Yet there has been a nagging sense of disillusionment. Many times we ask ourselves where is the freedom we once fought for so passionately...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Will the Uniform Civil Code bring Order?
What is the Uniform Civil Code (UCC)? The term civil code is used to cover the entire body of laws governing rights relating to property and matters like marriage, divorce, maintenance, adoption and inheritance. Currently, there are d...
posted on 04 March, 2021
5 ridiculous myths about Menstruation
Using sand, paper and ash – women in India do not have it easy when it comes to their monthly menstrual cycle. A taboo topic, most girls hide themselves out of fear or embarrassment on their way to a medical store. Majority cannot afford hygienic sanitary pads, and a woman’s men...
posted on 04 March, 2021
How women make women the weaker sex
The long-drawn movement for women's rights has been fighting to bring women and men on an equal footing in society. However, the perception that women are oppressed and exploited by men alone is not true. Patriarchy is so seeped into the system that often, some women vehemently...
posted on 04 March, 2021
8 Awesome Comebacks to Sexism And Harassment
Many women face verbal and sexual harassment: at school, colleges, in the workplace, while using public transport, or even from their trusted friends or family members. It is often unsafe to respond especially to harassment. If you are alone it is advisable to ascertain the situation an...
posted on 04 March, 2021
All you need to know before filing Income Tax Returns
Dear Taxpayers, Every year, by the 31st of July, we see taxpayers running from pillar to post in order to file their tax returns and often get caught in the complex web of tax laws which are meant in order to help the taxpayers. To make things simpler, we will run a series on how t...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Gender sensitization a Taboo?
No one knows if fire was discovered by a cave man or woman. Neither does anyone know which gender invented the wheel. So, it is completely baseless to attribute certain distinctions or qualities to a person depending on their gender. We have grown up listening to things like that s...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Rape culture is as Real as Rape
India is a heady mix of contradictions, traditions, science, religion and culture. Almost everything is found here in different permutations and combinations and there are very few things that aren't normal. Even rape has become almost normal. Just think about the number of times y...
posted on 04 March, 2021
7 ways the Internet can help victims of domestic abuse
About once every five minutes, domestic violence is reported by a woman in India - one of the highest incidence rates in the world. Contrary to popular belief, domestic violence does not only occur in “poor” families or in minority communities – it happens all around ...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Hetal Dave: Wrestling gender stereotypes
When you hear the words ‘Sumo Wrestling’ you tend to associate it with ‘burly men wrestling’. However, did you know that Indian women are gradually picking up this Japanese sport? Women’s participation in sports may not be widely acknowledged in India, lea...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Why Indians want Schools to have Gender Sensitisation
“Boys like to play with cars, And they are strong and tough Girls like to play with dolls, And they love make-up. Daddy says boys shouldn’t cry, Mummy says girls should be shy. I thought we all should share housework But Mummy is just the housewife, and Dadd...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Caught in the Net - A serial child molestor
One of the biggest manhunts Mumbai Police has seen in recent years just acquired success. A serial sex offender hurting minors was caught in a chase that would give Hollywood thriller film makers a run for their money. The last picture on the right is the final sketch of the ma...
posted on 04 March, 2021
13 things you must know to tackle sexual harassment at the workplace
With every occurrence of gender-based violence in India, India's legislation is scrutinised yet again. While it is true that we are far from recognising sexual violence against men or marital rape as criminal offences, the legislative atmosphere is changing. Post Nirbhaya's...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Why this Indian village accepts live-in relationships
Naniya Garasia, aged 70, from Rajasthan married his 60-year-old live-in partner Kaali in the presence of his grandchildren. His three sons also married their live-in partners on the very same day. All the four men had been living with their partners for years and their children had all ...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Meet Four Female Sports Talent that India Lost
World Cup 2014 just went by and the entire country collectively cheered and booed at every goal scored, and every goal missed. They cheered for many sports players that are perhaps oceans apart. Recently an international tennis star was belittled for being unaware of a celebrated Indian...
posted on 04 March, 2021
7 reactions to our video on Gender Sensitization
"Gender sensitization is an effort to show how gender shapes the roles of women and men in society, including their role in development, and how it affects relations between them." - Bhowmick Soma. Boys like to play with cars, And mummy says men are from Mars. Girls l...
posted on 04 March, 2021
A peek into the lives of women construction workers
Construction is the second largest and fastest growing industry in India. 51% of the workforce in this sector are women and majority of them are unskilled labourers. We looked at two women construction workers to understand the kind of lives they lead: Devamma lives on the grou...
posted on 04 March, 2021
5 young Indian girls making a difference
Meet five young Indian girls, who are a massive inspiration to all- old and young. Ambitious, courageous and determined, they have not let their gender or age come in their way. From setting up an NGO for children in slum communities to selling art work to raise money for life-threatening d...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Violence at Home? Know your rights
Prior to the landmark law passed in 2005, domestic violence wasn’t really recognised as a serious crime. Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 changed that and was put in place to legally protect the survivors of domestic violence, and prevent them from continued har...
posted on 04 March, 2021
660 Rape Crisis Centres Slashed: Survivor of Rape Speaks Out
I’m a rape survivor. I have survived sexual violence and I’m deeply disappointed at this moment. The Government has slashed 660 rape crisis centres that were initially approved and about to be set up in India, termed as 'Nirbhaya centres'. They will now establis...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Are ALL crimes against women getting the attention they deserve?
This week, seven outrageous issues women faced skipped our attention. Let's take a look at them: 1. Molested At The Protest Against Molestation in Kolkatta A peaceful protest rally of students demanding justice for a girl molested in the campus of Jadavpur University was vi...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Has justice for Indian women improved in the last ten years?
Every day, the newspapers are filled with new cases of atrocities committed against Indian women. In recent years, the Indian penal system has been brought into scrutiny by the public eye, as women, backed by the entire society, have been fighting for justice. Today, we are highlightin...
posted on 04 March, 2021
PowerOf49 Manifesto on Women's Safety
Politicians are gearing up for the big electoral fight in 2014. India’s citizens are demanding their rights from the leaders. CNN-IBN and Jaagore invited three resilient women to have an in-depth discussion of what Indian women need. Laxmi Saa,acid attack survivor,Ruchira Gupta, ...
posted on 04 March, 2021
What’s stopping 90 million Indian girls from going to school?
A recent UN report stated that 90 million Indian girls are illiterate. A country cannot progress if half the population cannot even read or write! Here are some of the ridiculous reasons why girls are not allowed to go to school! She will not become a good housewife Not doi...
posted on 04 March, 2021
PowerOf49 Manifesto on Education and Employment
India has the world’s largest population of girls that do not go to school. Nearly 2 in 3 of all illiterate children are girls. Half of India's girls can read vs 3/4th of India's boys It is a known fact that India still lags behind when it comes t...
posted on 04 March, 2021
The Lady Who Never Gives Up
How does one turn suffering into strength and inspire those who suffer, to rise? To answer this question, there can be no better example than Sunita Krishnan. From a young age, she has always been inclined to helping children and opening their minds with education. It was during on...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Why isn't marital rape a crime in India?
Does marriage sanction a right to abuse your spouse? Is marriage a license to have sex, no matter it is consensual or not? The concept of marital rape has been disregarded in India under the belief that criminalising marital rape would affect the sacred nature of marriage in India....
posted on 04 March, 2021
Fight against HIV: I am Positive!
Jyoti Surve came out of the HIV closet and is now a vivacious HIV activist and blogger based in Mumbai. Remarried in October 2013, she is on a mission to empower people to take control of their health and have more conversations about HIV Jyoti Dhawale Surve was born in 1976. The l...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Best and Worst things that happened to women in 2014
Worst things that happened to women in 2014 Baduan gang-rape and murder In late March 2014, a brutal image of two teenaged girls hung on a tree went viral on social media. They were on their way to relieve themselves in a field in Katra, Uttar Pradesh, when they were reportedly...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Why I refused to stay a mute spectator: Jadavpur University protests
After a female student was molested inside the campus, the authorities of Jadavpur University (in Kolkatta) have been under question for attempting to suppress the incident. A protest by the students turned ugly when the Police violently attacked them. Over a lakh people have joined the...
posted on 04 March, 2021
15 Sexist Things We Say All the Time
I want a wife who has not been with other men. Yes I have had girlfriends before..so? Sheer double standards. If virginity is a priority for you, you should practice before you preach. A woman should not be judged based on her past. You have to respect her and respect that she has ...
posted on 04 March, 2021
8 ways we rationalise Gender Bias
There is a very distinct difference between sex and gender. The former refers to the biological makeup of a person and the latter is the social distinction between how a man and a woman is supposed to “conform to society.” A lot of issues relating to safety for women and me...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Politics: Not just for grown-ups
Did you ever think that 12-year-olds could face the Government head-on and demand their rights from the authorities? This is not a superhero series in a children’s book. It’s real life. Last November, the ‘Children’s Parliament’ grilled some important minis...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Watch out Brazil, it's not the World Cup they want
Look who we're sending for the Football Cup in the US 18 minor girls from a tribal village in Jharkhand are quite the celebrities in their hometown. Most girls from rural areas have a similar story to tell. Married off well before they turn 18, living under the watchful eye...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Bangalore fights back – Will your city do the same?
The horrid news of a gangrape of a six-year-old minor in a high-profile school, and the gangrape of a 22-year-old student in Bangalore has alarmed the country. Bangaloreans didn't take this incident lightly. Many residents of the city spurred into action on social media. A face...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Will Access to Toilets for All Indian Women Ever be a Reality?
A village named Badaun in Uttar Pradesh has made headlines across the world. Located about four hours from Delhi on the banks of the Ganga river; Badaun is in the news for a devastating scene of crime. Two lower-caste girls aged 14 and 16 were gang-raped and hung from a tree in UP....
posted on 04 March, 2021
Excuses women make to stay in abusive relationships
"He cried, apologised and said he will never do it again." In most cases of domestic violence, once a man hits a woman, it is likely that it will happen again. And again. It’s a vicious cycle. "It's my fault. I pushed him too much." P...
posted on 04 March, 2021
The Magic Number
The number 18 has a way of grabbing the spotlight, yes? It is exciting and new and brings with it so many promises. The legal age guarantees new experiences and the excitement that comes with is quite loud. The number 18 has a way of grabbing the spotlight, yes? It is exciting...
posted on 04 March, 2021
An interview with Mrs.Deshmuk
It is not uncommon in the least to spot a fellow citizen question the workings of a local municipal body or complain about some kind of inconvenience faced due to a glitch in the ‘system’. Although it is in our right to voice a concern or point out something negative, we of...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Well-behaved women rarely make history
For long women have been placed on a pedestal that perhaps even Goddesses will find unreal. A woman must be timid. She must speak less, she must sit only cross-legged, she shouldn't laugh too loud, or talk too loud. All these are mandatory, non-negotiable traits for the ideal "...
posted on 04 March, 2021
I am the Girl Child That Survived – Pooja Chopra Writes for Jaago Re
I am Pooja Chopra. I am a model, actress and a survivor. I think my story has been told many times. How my father decided that he doesn’t want to have another daughter. How he asked my mother to choose between me and her marriage. How my mother was devastated that she was bei...
posted on 04 March, 2021
5 Indian women ahead of their time
In the last 30 years, women in India have come a long way. So much has changed – this is largely due to the actions of a few inspiring women who didn’t let anything hold them back. Today we celebrate five such women who were, and still are, ahead of their times. Harshin...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Behind bars, there lies some hope
Two young women speak to Jaago Re about their efforts to uplift 165 jailed female inmates. 165 women inmates await their fates in Bangalore Central Prison. Disowned by families and banished from society, the lives of women inmates in prison are not easy. However, there are two ...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Women's Safety: In Your Words
It is an accepted fact that brutal crimes against women are occurring in India daily. Now many Indians do not deny, or shy away from conversations relating to eve-teasing, sexual assaults or rape. Even the common man's conversation on the streets often steer towards the escalat...
posted on 04 March, 2021
PowerOf49 Manifesto on Health and Sanitation
Over 600 million Indians defecate out in the open. More than 50% girls in India are anemic. Every 10 minutes a woman dies of child birth. These gory statistics prove that India is grossly unable to provide basic rights of hygiene, health and sanitation to many ...
posted on 04 March, 2021
The Gender Advantage: Women who Misuse it & Men who get Offended
Is it an Issue with your EGO, or her Spirit? I believe women are always at an advantage. For instance, there are reserved seats in buses. There are separate ticket counters for ladies. Some trains have 'women-only' coaches. In metros there may be complete trains only fo...
posted on 04 March, 2021
7 Spectacular Women from the ASIAD Games
When you say ‘cricket’ in India, it hardly takes a second to conjure up the image of Sachin Tendulkar or the entire men’s team. If asked about the women’s team, it is only a handful of people across the country, who even know the names. Thus, in a country wh...
posted on 04 March, 2021
3 Ways To Clean Up Our Dirty Business
Some glaring truths: the filthy side of India 600,000 die annually since 50% of the country is openly defecating in India. Half of the world’s top 20 dirtiest cities are in India, according to the World Health Organisation's statistics, which included 1,600 citi...
posted on 04 March, 2021
The Power Of A Papad
Meet the women at Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad, popularly known as Lijjat. By definition, Lijjat is a cooperative involved in manufacturing of various fast moving consumer goods, with papads at the helm. For the average Indian though, they need no introduction. Lijjat’s t...
posted on 04 March, 2021
How One Man on a Cycle is Changing Rural India
Meet the man who is riding across India for a cause – to call an end to crimes against women. Since March, Rakesh Singh has already visited over 80 villages, covered around 2,000 kms, interacted with more than 25,000 people and hopes to reach Delhi by March 2017. Acid att...
posted on 04 March, 2021
9 Famous Men That Stood Up For Women
Farhan Akhtar Going beyond his various avatars in the showbiz, this Bollywood star and recently appointed'UN Women's South Asia Goodwill Ambassador', launched a social campaign calledMARD- an abbreviation of ‘Men Against Rape and Discrimination', aft...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Why I Stayed & Why I Left an Abusive Relationship
Real issues discussed by real people A famous football star in the U.S. is serving an indefinite suspension by the National Football League, after a video of him brutally knocking his then fiancé unconscious was released by the media. Soon after, the same fiancé w...
posted on 04 March, 2021
5 reasons to end saying 'What if she's your sister/mother/daughter' in the argument against rape
Empathy for a victim of any crime is nurtured when you imagine putting yourself in the victim's place. However, in cases of rape, the dynamics are entirely different. Whether we admit or not, empathy in this scenario differs: mostly based on whether you're a man or a woman. ...
posted on 04 March, 2021
How Change Occurred In Soda
As a country we take pride in producing and celebrating intellectuals who have excelled in their respective fields of science, art, literature, journalism and so on. We openly exalt and often express the pride and regard we have for our achievers and scholars. Yet we never openly quest...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Macho Kumar Conquers The Gender Police
Introduction Macho Kumar is my farmer buddy. Macho is an anachronism, he's outdated. His world hasn't changed in over 2000 years. He is terribly macho. I often invite him to my cafe so I can mentor him about real manliness. Sometimes it goes well, and sometimes we fight. He hasn...
posted on 04 March, 2021
How Budget 2015 will impact the Indian Woman: Experts Speak Up
On 28 February, 2015 Budget 2015 was announced in Parliament. While many of us still struggle to understand the jargon financial analysts use, it is important to note that many women and young girls need to be empowered financially. It is important for women to learn about money matter...
posted on 04 March, 2021
10 things we must stop saying to rape survivors
Recently, Suzette Jordan, a survivor of rape was denied entry to the restaurant 'Ginger'. She was told by the manager that they cannot allow her because she is a "rape victim". Often, a rape survivor is subject to humiliation, shame and ostracisation in our society. Po...
posted on 04 March, 2021
How Gender Bias is Dangerous for Men
Gender equality benefits all genders, not only women. Those fighting for women's rights are not fighting against men, but fighting against sexism, which hurts both men and women. Find out how: Bias against "Gender-specific" professions – dancers, nurses etc. ...
posted on 04 March, 2021
10 Indian women to watch out for at Commonwealth Games 2014
Four Manipuri women have bagged medals at CWG 2014 on the opening day of the 20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. And this is just the beginning… Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu and Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (seen above) bagged a gold and silver, respectively, in women's w...
posted on 04 March, 2021
What are Indian women most afraid of?
Rapes, abductions, acid attacks, physical abuse, molestation, stalking, eve-teasing – these are the known crimes occurring in India every single day. Women for no fault of their own, even little girls are attacked with such brutality – that now there is a fear brewing in the min...
posted on 04 March, 2021
10 things Women Should Expect from #Budget2015: Expert Speak
The Union Budget for this year will be out tomorrow on 28th February, 2015. With the new Government in power, expectations are high and every individual, right from financial experts to small business owners to students are glued in to know how the Budget will impact them. JaagoRe ...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Seven lies we tell our children about gender
Boys don't learn to dance, girls do. Boys play sports. A woman's body is usually subject to decoration. We teach girls to look "pretty" right from a young age. Encouraging her to join sports will teach her about exercise and strength, and that there's more to ...
posted on 04 March, 2021
5 bizarre citizen's protests that actually sparked off change
In India, of late we have been witness to many bizarre protests. Take Back the Night, Kiss of Love and many other unusual form of protests have made headlines, caught attention of the authorities and led to endless dialogue questioning our society’s culture and norms; shaking the stat...
posted on 04 March, 2021
The Gold-digger syndrome: Busting myths on women & money
"I haven't reported my missing credit card to the police because whoever stole it, is spending less than my wife": Quote by former world's No. 1 professional tennis player. It is one of the most clichéd beliefs of our time. Women are spendthrifts, men lose ...
posted on 04 March, 2021
4 Ways to Having a Better Diwali
One of the most celebrated times of the year; Diwali usually finds India lit up by colourful lights and lamps. The festival is an indicator of the return of hope, the conquest of light over darkness and good over evil. With so many prevalent social evils, our country has a long way to go be...
posted on 04 March, 2021
10 Ridiculous Global Laws For Women
Living conditions may vary from country to country. While there are countries that contribute to empowerment of their women, there are others that regress their women with laws that make us wonder whether they were really created with the idea to “protect women” or if they ...
posted on 04 March, 2021
How Our Society Justifies Rape
Recently, an interview with Mukesh Singh, one of the accused of the notorious Delhi gangrape and murder of 'Nirbhaya', has been fervently doing the rounds on social media. Perhaps it has something to do with the remorseless and grave nature of the quotes by the rapist, currently awa...
posted on 04 March, 2021
PowerOf49 Manifesto on Domestic Violence
Violence at home is an open secret in India. It is unreasonable to think that public spaces are unsafe for women, when we cannot even protect her in the cocoon of her own house. Marital rape, dowry harassment and physical abuse are common in many families in India. CNN IBN and Jaagore invit...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Media vs. Society: Who's to blame for objectification of women?
It's hard not to bring up the depiction of women in media when we speak of ending violence against women. The objectification of women in media has reduced them from human beings to mere objects of sexual interest. Provocative images of women, pouty lips, hypersexualised body langu...
posted on 04 March, 2021
5 Women Sarpanch Leaders Showing India the Way Forward
The mention of the word 'Sarpanch' generally brings to mind an image of an elderly grey haired man, probably with a turban and a big moustache, holding in his hands a stick and in his gaze the fear filled respect of an entire village. Rarely does the image of a woman ever come to mi...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Why Do We Need Sex Education in Schools?
Our schools teach our children everything they need to know to succeed – right? Intensive classes, exams to help them get into the best universities in India and abroad, and even extra out-of-school tuition so they can compete with their global peers. What is the need to teac...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Do we need to change what we teach our kids?
Why do we gender stereotype? Why do we have biases against what men and women can or cannot do? Before we attempt to answer these questions, let’s understand how did we grow up to be a community that biases genders. The answer lies in our formative years, where gender structured ...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Experts’ Take on the New Guidelines for Child Adoption in India
The new guidelines governing child adoption came into effect on August 1, 2015 and these guidelines are expected to change the way the process of child adoption functions in India. In spite of having a large number of children waiting to be adopted, adoption is neither a popular option...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Are you aware about the New Tax Filing Rules? (Part 2)
In continuation to our Tax Filing Series of articles, this article will help us understand the new Rules announced by the CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes) for filing tax returns for the previous financial year 2014-15. CBDT has declared the set of Income Tax Return (ITR)...
posted on 04 March, 2021
How women contribute to gender biasing
Gender biases have been deep rooted in our society. We tend to ‘put’ women in their place in society with phrases that are uttered consciously, or sometimes even unconsciously. More than usual, these phrases might be said by women to women they interact with. For example- w...
posted on 04 March, 2021
What's the big deal about 33%?
Barely 11% women make it to Indian Politics in 2014. 33% is still a far fetched utopia women's rights have been fighting for since 18 years now. 62 out of 543 candidates in 2014 are women. Barely 11% of the India's governing body constitutes women. Isn't it shocking? ...
posted on 04 March, 2021
5 things women in India need
5 things women in India need: an acid attack survivor speaks out Eight years ago, a 15-year-old adolescent girl was brutally attacked with acid at a crowded market in Delhi. Today Laxmi SAA has finally taken the decision to come out of her veil. Laxmi is now the face of Stop Acid Attack...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Women's safety in India: a crumbling illusion
I was 12 years old when I was first sexually assaulted. I was walking down the street and a man on a bike came and slapped my chest. I came home crying and told my mother about it. She told me, "I was dreading the day you would face this…" Every single d...
posted on 04 March, 2021
From Farmer to CEO: A Mother's Tale
An agricultural labourer from Warangal is today the CEO of a multi-million dollar software company in the US. Jyothi Reddy recounts her inspiring journey A painful and short-lived childhood Jyothi lost her mother at a young age. Thereafter her father lost his job in the militar...
posted on 04 March, 2021
Cleaning up India: The Ugly Indian
What do you call a group of anonymous citizens who come together in a city and clean up dirty streets by themselves? They are called The Ugly Indians. "Want to change the world? Start with your own street," believe The Ugly Indians. Who is th...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Waging a WARR
How many times have you been eve-teased, subjected to lewd name calling or been groped in trains or railway stations? How many times have you just stood there helpless and ashamed? WARR (War Against Railway Rowdies), a crowd-sourced initiative in Mumbai, is now coming to the rescue of ...
posted on 05 March, 2021
The Primary Fix-It
When there is a short circuit in your home - you call an electrician When you have a leaking faucet - you call a plumber When you need new book shelf - you call a carpenter When you feel unsafe in your own neighbourhood because the street lights don't work - what do you...
posted on 05 March, 2021
What Do Women Want?
There are questions and then there is THE question – ‘What do women want?’ Stereotypical notions have been attached to this question; that women DON’T KNOW what they want. That they are confused because they perennially changing their minds. That they might ...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Women For Women
In Ahmedabad resides a trade union with a difference. The Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) is an organisation of self-employed women workers from across the country that acknowledges and addresses the needs of income, food and social security of those women who earn a liv...
posted on 05 March, 2021
A Bangalore Girl’s Cinderella Story
I’ve lived my entire life in the Garden City. I’ve watched it grow beyond its girth, seen it become a melting pot of cultures by an influx of people from other states, marveled at the IT boom and witnessed the slow and painful death of date night, dancing and a sense of sec...
posted on 05 March, 2021
The Consortium of Pub-Going, Loose & Forward Women
There’s a high probability that you heard about the ‘Pink Chaddi Campaign’ back in 2009. With the kind of media attention and stir it caused among women of all ages in cities both big and small across the country, it was hard to miss. In a nutshell, it was a non-viole...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Things Women Do Together
Isn’t it about time that you, as a woman in this country, start looking at voting in a new light? Why should voting be any less cooler than any other activity that you do? Especially when your vote, along with the votes of the millions of women in the country who constitute 49% o...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Woman of the River
Can a single woman turn the tide… literally? When the water levels of Kosi River in Uttarakhand began to decrease, the villagers that depended on the river bore the direct brunt of it. The problem would have been fatal had it not been for the relentless efforts of one woman ...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Change Through Chai & Conversations
Lakshmi Rebecca is the brains behind and the face of India’s first online chat show ‘Chai With Lakshmi’. Now in its fourth season the show has been online since 2011 with over 120 webisodes and a staggering 2 million views. Driven by inspiring stories and ordinary...
posted on 05 March, 2021
How families bias against the women in their midst
Have we ever stopped to think why India is more often not, dubbed as a patriarchal society? With women always being kept on the back burner, we are a country that is still trying to find a balance to give equal opportunities to our women and reduce crimes against them. However, to enab...
posted on 05 March, 2021
A Story They Don't Want You to Hear: The Western Woman in India
"Being in denial, never solved any problem, for anyone, anywhere." As a white, British woman living, studying and working in India over the last seven years it cannot be denied that I benefited from white and economic privilege there. As this First Post article correctly ...
posted on 05 March, 2021
The Power of A Mother-Daughter Team
I sit, across a cup of coffee from Elaine Ghosh , a passionately formidable woman and the founder of the Parinaam Foundation. It was scheduled to be a quick interview but we’re running on three hours and counting, every minute of which has had me riveted. In between talking about...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Will more toilets help solve India's rape problem?
Chennai Corporation, the local municipality body will introduce 1000 She-toilets soon. Is there a connect between lack of toilets and attacks on women? Seen here, a woman checking the e-toilet in Kerala House. Of late, reports of rapes (especially of minors) coming in from the ...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Voices of Men: American activist challenges reactions to abuse in India
Ben Zeman at a gender sensitisation workshop in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh held last week When Ben Zeman was in college, his girlfriend told him that she was once raped. Other women he met told him that they had been harassed on the street, harassed at work, listened to less than t...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Freedom at midnight
We have just seen a play that spills over with laughter, The actors are easy with their bodies and I am jealous, I dream of a life where I can skip on the street. Later in the taxi, it is 1 AM and I peer out the windows. In these lengthening hours, my city is a city of men. ...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Why we should not forget the reason women are mistreated today
In the previous article, Macho Kumar was confronted with the reality of the gender police and the fear, ostracisation and conditioning that has gone into framing our gender identities. In this article, feminist scholar and activist Ashwin Mohan seeks to address his doubts and helps clar...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Why women must pay attention to the President's Speech: Budget 2015
At the start of the Budget session today, President Pranab Mukherjee delivered a speech before both the Houses of the Parliament. In his speech, he also remarked, "Women have had a place of reverence in our society since time immemorial. My Government has taken several measures to empo...
posted on 05 March, 2021
On Real Men
The debate on what makes a ‘Real Man’ is colorful, varied and will go on through every generation. Physical attributes like strength, muscle, a moustache are some commonly cited ones. Characteristics such as protective instincts, courage, the ability to provide, shoulder to...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Laying the Path For Gender Equality In Politics
Thirty years ago, inspired by Gandhian principals and the dream of a truly democratic society, six social scientists from Jawaharlal Nehru University came together to establish the Centre for Social Research (CSR) in Delhi. Over the last three decades CSR has been a leader in the India...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Curing the Problem
Change can come from anywhere and in any form. One doesn’t need resources as much as one needs sheer will to see the fulfilment of change. Ask Subhashini Mistry, who rose from adversity to help her fellow members, to ensure that they don’t suffer the same fate as she did. ...
posted on 05 March, 2021
When a Man Helps Empower Women
There are persistent people and then there is Subhash Mendhapurkar. As the Founder and Director of SUTRA (Society for Social Uplift through Rural Action) he has persistently championed women’s empowerment in Shimla and roused the women of this quaint hilly region to demand that t...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Beyond Being A Survivor
In 1992 the State Government of Rajasthan launched an anti-child marriage campaign. Employees of the state and members of the Women's Development Project (WDP), a grassroot initiative run by the government, went out to villages to try and educate people about the issue and stop the...
posted on 05 March, 2021
It All Begins By Asking Why
You wouldn’t expect a French speaking daughter of a diplomat to care much about a group of Rajasthani nomads who live on footpath or be teaching a batch of slum children spoken English in a shack in the Girinagar slum of Delhi, but that is exactly what Anouradha Bakshi does. ...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Lighting Young Minds
Knowledge, when shared, realizes its truest potential. Bearing testimony to this fact are three young women in UP, who against all odds, decided to open a school for children, dispensing the education themselves. Aged 19, 19 and 18, Tabassum Bano, Tarannum Bano, and Rubina Bano too...
posted on 05 March, 2021
In Conversation With Dr Ranjana Kumari
Google Dr. Ranjana Kumari’s name and you will be met by a number of articles citing her great work, by numerous interviews she has done and by a number of papers she has authored. She is one of those rare human beings who have devoted their entire life’s work to a single ca...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Decisions Decisions Decisions
You are a working lady. It’s been a long, hard day at work. You come home and unravel, going through the events of the day in your mind. You have to choose between doing a presentation now and losing out on eight hours of solid sleep, or wake up early the next day and run into pa...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Breaking the Glass Ceiling through the Power of 49
Glass Ceiling: A term that creates a rather peculiar mental image of what it could possibly be. A ceiling made of glass, and hence invisible – so why have it at all? But then again, it probably serves the purpose of any other solid ceiling, albeit in a subtle way. A glass cei...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Harnessing The Power Of Many
To be in the Forbes’ list of 100 most powerful women in the world, among TIME magazine’s 100 most influential or to reach a net worth of US$900 million is no mean feat. Ask Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairman & Managing Director of Biocon Limited, a biotechnology company base...
posted on 05 March, 2021
A Sangham For A Voice
The need for a significant change in the status of women in our country has been debated extensively in the past. Many of us have contributed to these very discussions by proposing several ideas to trigger this. A considerable number of us have actively protested the many injustices to...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Leading Change From The Self
At 29, most women are either married, or peaking at the zenith of their career. On the other hand, Shama Khan is 29 and the Pradhan of Chohtan Panchayat Samiti in Barmer. Married at the age of 19, and becoming a mother of a 3-year old didn’t stop her from entering grassroot p...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Why Stay Silent
When a woman is ‘eve-teased’, more often than not, she ignores the incident so as not to ‘further encourage’ such behaviour. It’s as though the incident was somehow triggered by her, and she is solely responsible for the offender’s reaction. On t...
posted on 05 March, 2021
What Latha Didnt Know
On Sunday, she decided to buy herself a sari from her savings. It was on Monday that the petrol price went up; she had no choice but to dilute her funds even further as she drove her children to school. The younger one, pinned for an ice cream, it off course had to be from the fancy st...
posted on 05 March, 2021
नदी की महिलाएं
क्‍या एक अकेली औरत बहाव बदल सकती है... पूरी तरह से? जब उत्तराखंड में कोसी नदी के पानी का स्तर कम होना शुरू हुआ, �...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Remembering four powerful sibling stories on Raksha Bandhan
Sister donates 65% of her liver to save brother In late 2013, Nisha Bhaisade from Mumbai didn’t think twice before donating 65% of her liver to her brother Nilesh Bhaisade. The surgery took place on the day of Raksha Bandhan. Ex...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Are big cities in India prepared for natural disasters?
After the earthquake that has shattered parts of India and Nepal, concerns on disaster and safety are echoing across the sub-continent. How prepared is India if a disaster of the same magnitude were to strike us? Let's take a look at some of the major cities in India...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Women's Score in Elections 2014
A breakdown of Indian Women's Score Card on Voter Turnouts and Women Candidates from General Election 2014, and the Top Highlights of Women's Roles in Indian Polity. As we interpret the Indian map and women's representation on it for 2014, let'...
posted on 05 March, 2021
49 की शक्ति - सही उम्मीदवार के पीछे
पिछले आम चुनाव जो वर्ष 2009 में हुए, एक अनुमान के अनुसार चुनाव में खड़े 150 सांसदों के खिलाफ आपराधिक आरोप थे। 14 वीं लो�...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Reclaiming The Streets and Not Asking For It
There is a common notion entrenched in the narrow minds of most Indians that women who get sexually harassed or assaulted were ‘asking for it’ because they were probably wearing provocative clothing. To see if this was anywhere near accurate an experiment was conducted, ent...
posted on 05 March, 2021
Rooting For Roona
What are you doing to ensure every child in born in his country has a fair shot at life? What would you do if you came across the story of Roona? A documentary film maker and her crew form Bangalore have done something and that something is truly incredible and proof of how much can com...
