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 were created to spite women.

Here’s a list of 10 ridiculous international laws on women that may make your skin crawl.

Marital rape not really a 'rape' in India.

According to IPC Section 375 which provides that sexual intercourse or sexual acts by man with his own wife, the wife not being under 15 years of age, is not rape.

Non-recognition of marital rape is a huge setback in terms of gender equality in India. Quoting Bertrand Russell, an activist and philosopher – ""Marriage is for women the commonest mode of livelihood and the total amount of undesired sex endured by women is probably greater in marriage than in prostitution.""

Women banned from driving in Saudi Arabia.

Laws in Saudi Arabia prevent a woman from driving owing to which, a lot of feminist groups in Saudi Arabia posted selfies of themselves driving cars. Now the Saudi Arabian Government plans to revoke the ban, but not without a few terms and conditions – they plan to make driving legal only for women above 30 years of age. In addition to this, they will also be allowed to only drive to school to drop or pick up their children and to hospitals. To be able to do so, they would need to seek the permission of their husbands or fathers, in absence of both, either a brother or a son.

Illegal for women to vote or divorce in Vatican City

In the male dominated society of Vatican City, it's illegal for women to divorce their spouses and vote for their country.

Yemen's 1992 act says that a wife "must permit (her husband) to have legitimate intercourse with her when she is fit to do so."

14% of Yemen girls are married to adult men before they are 15.

Yemenese wives are forced to have sex with their husbands by the law that governs the country, thereby legalising marital rape.

Illegal for women to work in Turkey without their husband's permission.

The working population of women in Turkey is just about 29%, but what makes it difficult for women seeking employment is the fact that they have to seek their husband's permission to hold a job.

Permission to wear false teeth

Women in Vermont require their husband's permission to be able to wear false teeth in their mouth.

Legal to beat wife, but just once a month!

In Arkansas USA, there is a law that allows men to beat their wives, but just once a month.

Illegal for women to wear 'mini skirts' in Uganda

Politicians in Uganda call for imprisonment of women who dress in a skirt 'above the knee'. This comes in view of Uganda's anti-pornography law introduced last year, banning indecent dressing.

Women in China don't have a claim to property in divorce

Since 2011, property is no longer split for the couple seeking divorce. It is awarded to the person in whose name the property is registered in. In China it is common for men to pay for the house, and women to pay for the interior decors of the house - which cost just as much as the house itself.

Female audiences banned from watching football in Iran

Iran has banned its women from entering football stadiums, as they are believed to provoke men to rape them. In 2006, the then President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had proposed a special section for women in the football stadium, but the decision was overruled by higher authorities.

Powerof49: When will women have equal rights?

Patriarchy is a tool to suppress and control women, and it exists around the world. Men and women, both, need to confront this menace and tackle it head on. The opposite of patriarchy is equal rights, for men and women. It’s the 21st century and there should be no room for patriarchy today.

Time to let go of patriarchal ideals that threaten our very existence, as a world.

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 before we can celebrate a Better Diwali.

Here are 4 stories that might give an insight into how a country which celebrates Better Diwali looks.

Sumukh Mehta, Student

When asked about his special Diwali plans, Sumukh Mehta, an Engineering student said he wanted to make a difference. Starting a couple of months ago, Mehta and his friends have been making the life of street kids a little sweeter in the smallest of ways. Their campaigns have been aimed at reducing the number of child labourers, beggars, and ensuring that every child is treated with respect.

We started out with our first campaign, and our catchphrase was scribbled on a piece of cardboard with a marker: ‘I don’t want your money, I just want food.’ We targeted the busiest part of Bangalore on a weekend, to ensure that amongst all that chaos, people take in the idea behind the campaigns. Our next catchphrase was:It's my birthday, please treat me.'

With this campaign, we ensured people knew that even though it wasn’t their birthday, the children on MG Road and Brigade Road deserved equal treatment to those children who have a family and home. I’ve always said that it’s a vicious cycle, where we hit these poor children, and they tend to hate the world. With no food, no knowledge and no love being given, they become addicted to different kinds of wrongs.

It is up to us educated people to make a change. Our Diwali campaign, ‘Enlighten me’, was a fun time for the kids with a Diwali package of colours, sweets and gifts. My friends and I took these children to a popular doughnut and coffee shop, and the security guard wouldn’t let us in. It is such mentality we aimed to change this Diwali, by enlightening the minds of these children and the people around us.

Maitreyee Kumar and Karun Gopinath, Dream School Foundation

Successfully managing the Dream School Foundation for just over 10 years, Maitreyee Kumar has been ensuring children in government schools don’t drop out or forget the value of education. Kumar, with Karun Gopinath on the team as well, manages three centres with 4 government schools under their care.

The schools that are on defence property, and are neglected or suffer from lack of funds, ones that are on the verge of closing down, we manage such schools. Our aim is to ensure these kids stay in school and do not end up getting married or as child labourers.

The public education system is grossly ignored and looked down upon, and that is something we intend to change. Bridging the gap between public and private education is our main aim. This Diwali, our partners, volunteers and children, all got together to realize the importance of Diwali.

The festivities included cleaning up the government schools, painting the compound, reading sessions, an impromptu skit, and colouring competitions. The children had a lot of fun, and so did we. This however, also ensured that they understood the lessons of being clean and good over evil.

We have different methods of ensuring that the children are provided the strength of education. We have something called ‘Headstart’, where they are allowed to pick schools and ‘10 Plus’, where they are funded even after 10th standard. It is just a small way to ensure their families have a future through them. Our aim is to stir into action the volunteering spirit of the community."

Sarah Santamaria, DIYA Foundation

Adults and children alike, who have Cerebral Palsy (CP) or Mental Retardation (MR) are often mistreated by their family. Families consider them incapable of being a source of income or productivity. At Diya Foundation, they aim to give these individuals training on social skills, and vocational skills.

“Every one of our students is special in some way. We realized that though ‘special’ schools train them in how to read and write, they had nowhere to go to apply for jobs. We opened up our foundation to provide them with vocational training and jobs to ensure they feel a sense of self-worth. They take back home the money they make out of our different departments.

We have a diya/candle making unit, where they paint the diyas and decorate them. We also have a paper recycling unit which provides the raw materials to make the papier-mâché lamps and bowls that they make. Each of them has a separate target that they have to achieve, either on a daily or weekly basis. It is the self-esteem that they gain out of achieveing each of these targets that gives them knowledge of a world of opportunities beyond even Diya Foundation.

It’s a yearlong process, their painting of diyas and making papier-mâché bowls. They begin by January and their efforts bear fruits during Diwali and other festive seasons. Diwali is our busiest time of the year, since we have diyas and trays going out to different corporates and individuals.”

Monika Gupta, Financial Industry Professional

When it takes several small drops to make a mighty ocean, change can be initiated by just one individual. This is the policy followed by Monkia Gupta. A professional in the financial industry, she feels the need to have to give back to society just as much as she receives.

“I moved here a few years ago from Mumbai, and I have wanted to do something special for those who are not as fortunate as I am. This year, I decided that I would go to the area where my household help stays, and distribute some fireworks and sweets. I was discussing this with my friend, who advised me to give something other than fireworks, since fireworks are a source of air pollution, trouble to animals and child labour.

I realized how we take the smallest things for granted, and it is the small things that will make a big difference in the lives of those who are underprivileged. I decided to hand out sweets, gifts and stationery so I could indirectly encourage them to study. Every small change can make a difference in their lives, and bring about a brighter world.”

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 their bank balance when they start to court women and women cannot handle money matters. Innumerable songs are written dedicated to ‘gold diggers' – women who marry men simply because of the size of the man's bank account. Sure enough, we have literally seen this stereotype growing up – it is always the father that looks after monetary affairs, and not the mother.

Do the above clichés serve as nothing but sexist beliefs? Is there an ounce of truth in them?

Jaago Re features Rishabh Parakh, a renowned money consultant and financial writer to demystify myths surrounding women and money.

Let's take a closer look at the circumstances where women actually make better financial decisions than men.

Instances where women have outperformed in the market

According to this international survey, an instance of hedge funding was tracked in 2007, where funds managed by women outperformed the market. Women also tend to work hard to become financially independent, thereby reducing their chances of going into debt.

Seeking guidance

According to a report by Fidelity, women are more likely to seek information and advice from professional financial advisers (53% women as against 44% men sought advice on financial matters). This trait often helps as women seek advice, listen and focus on taking corrective measures the moment they start following their financial plan.

Risk Averse

Women are more averse to taking risks. Many women also manage their household expenses so they have to align their day to day expenses carefully.

Monitoring

While men focus more on ROI (rate of returns) and market fluctuation, women keep monitoring performances to check whether they are meeting their targets.

Spending

It's very interesting to see how women and men spend; when a woman takes control of finances, her focus tends to shift more towards spending for domestic expenses and her children's needs.

Planning

Men tend to be more confident in their planning. Women on the other hand, plan for uncertainty in advance.

Life Stages

Generally men's financial ability to manage finance differ as per their different stages in life. It is mostly at peak during their middle years and declines in the later part of their lives. Women seem to get more proficient in managing money as the years pass by.

Handling Failure

Women do get distressed if their planned targets are not met, yet their approach to handle failure is different from their male counterparts. If a man suffers a loss in the share market, he may get aggressive, and even go all out to correct it by buying more shares to average out. Women on the other hand, may step back, think, plan and cut down on the risk, which might help in realigning their plans to meet their defined targets and investments.

Why do we harbor sexist and harmful prejudices when it comes to women and money?

Patriarchy can manifest itself in different forms. This is another example. First, it is the father that controls monetary affairs, and after marriage, it's the husband who takes over. Women are financially handicapped from early on, and often end up depending on others even for a personal sense of financial security.
Right from an early age, women need financial education and empowerment. Only then can they learn how to handle money and improve not only their personal lives, but also the lives of their family, their parents and their children.
When will we start letting go of regressive, offensive and deeply chauvinistic attitudes about women and money? Are all women "spendthrifts/ gold-diggers"? Are men really better at handling men than women are? The answer will only come once we are gender sensitised to a point where we objectively analyse how we will deal with rising expenses, inflation and work towards financial security. Financial planning in a family is only possible when we look at both genders without bias. That's when we can work together towards achieving financial independence for our loved ones.

Have you calculated your budget for 2015?

Are you a student, a homemaker, a newly employed person or a salaried employee? To know how #Budget2015 affects you, check the Budget calculator here.

More about the author:

Rishabh Parakh is a Chartered Accountant and Founder Director and Chief Gardener of Money Plant Consulting, a tax and investment service provider. He has also written on finance for many leading publications.

Disclaimer:

Views expressed here are of the author alone and do not necessarily represent that of the brand.

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 status quo.

Many protests have been non-violent, some bizarre, some outright shocking. Yet these protests have been responsible in bringing about change. They are all a part of the larger movement where the citizens of a country decide that 'enough is enough' and that a change in our culture, politics, social system, administration and way of life will eventually lead to progress.

Let's take a look at five such bizarre instances of citizens sparking of a revolution in their own unusual, but effective ways.

Hongkong's Umbrella Revolution

A student's movement sparked off in Hongkong a few months ago, when the students got together to demand complete democracy from the Chinese Communist Party. In order to protect themselves from getting pepper-sprayed by the Police, the students started using a large number of colourful umbrellas – and the name 'Umbrella Revolution' caught on. The protestors want the right to directly elect the head of the Hongkong Government, called the 'Chief Executive', yet China wants to 'oversee' the appointment of the Chief Executive.

Although the outcome till date remains uncertain, Hongkong's democratic movement has effectively begun. Even amid pressures to withdraw and criticisms from the conservatives, many young activists aren’t backing down. Their protest has been the centre of international attention forcing China to respond to many queries from governments around the world.

Source: Time Magazine

Peru – Washing the flag clean of 'dirty politics'

Back in the year 2000, Alberto Fujimori was re-elected as the President of Peru. This angered the citizens – he was accused of abusing his power and using violence against his detractors. Several men and women gathered at a main city juncture and started 'washing the flag clean of dirty politics'. This act of defiance continued for months. Later a video of the President’s ally bribing a legislature emerged. He then fled to Japan and resigned – later serving imprisonment.

Source: Time Magazine

Flowerpot Potholes in Protest

At the beautiful valley of Kings Country in Canada, the citizens were troubled for too long by potholed roads. After years of complaining to the authorities, a small group of citizens decided to fight back – with flowers. The citizens stated the roads are not safe to drive on. "We deserve to drive on half-decent roads," was an echo across the people's protest. Much to embarrassment of the authorities, flowers were planted on most of the potholes in their streets.

Source: The Chronicle Herald

Rape Survivor Carries That Weight

Rape survivor Emma Sulkowicz from Columbia university has literally been carrying her dorm mattress in the campus daily, everywhere she goes. 'Carry That Weight' is her part protest, part performance art project – in retaliation to the rape that took place on her dorm bed. Apart from her, two other Columbia female students have also filed sexual assault cases against the same man she accused – who is still attending school. Columbia University has not commented on the case, although it has found the accused man "not responsible".

23 other students have also complained against the University's mishandling of sexual assault cases.

Her unusual form of protest also evolved into 'Carry That Weight Together' where many more students across the US also started carried their dorm mattresses around the campus in solidarity with her and against campus mishandling of sexual misconduct cases.

The group has also submitted a list of 10 priorities to Columbia University, urging the administration to take the voices of the survivors and activists more seriously.

Source: The Slate

Tree sit-in at University of California

Tree lovers protested against the plan to remove oak trees near the University of California in Bekeley, US. These environmental activists 'lived' in the endangered grove to obstruct the construction of over a 100 million dollar athletic centre for the University. The tree sit-in lasted from 2006 to 2008, and three lawsuits later, the oak trees were finally cut down.

Source: New York Times

Powerof49 – What Next?

In the months leading up to the election, Jaago Re released a 10-point Powerof49 Manifesto, and presented it to the leading political parties.

Can we check to see if any of those demands have been met? If not, how do we, as citizens of the world's largest democracy assert our rights?

Can we take inspiration from movements around the world, where the youth, both men and women have gone up to every extent imaginable to ensure their rights are met with – or can they serve as an example for us to shake off our apathy and to introspect, question, organise and gather together to demand what’s ours. Click to here to read the list of demands of the Powerof49 Manifesto.

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 her body than simply "looking pretty".

Occupations, talents, careers or even hobbies should not be based on gender. You may exhibit more courage to let your child choose his/her hobbies based on their own interests, rather than what the "society" thinks.

Boys should play with GI Joe/cars. Girls should join dance/painting classes

Because of our own gendered stereotypes we have stereotyped even toys and hobbies/talents. We should not let our conditioning prevent a child from exploring their curiosity. Let girls play with cars, and let boys learn how to dance or paint.

Meanwhile we should also ask ourselves why a toy or a talent/occupation is "gendered".

Dolls and Animated Characters/Princesses usually have unrealistic bodies

We are well aware that dolls and 'Princesses' in animated movies have unrealistic bodies, and little girls are exposed to them from a young age. Many girls even emulate them. Exposing little girls to an unhealthy body image in turn affects their own body image. This is where they learn what is 'beautiful'. News reports often talk about how a poor body image among girls can lead to low self-esteem, depression and increased risk of disordered eating. As they grow up, they see excessive demands in the media, or in Bollywood of the 'perfect body' which is unattainable for the majority. It's time to keep gender positive and healthy models for our children to grow up with.

A Mighty Girl has been leading the movement to raise gender sensitive children. Click to know more.

Boys are handed gadgets/playstations. Girls are given books.

Often it is assumed that girls are technically challenged. The stereotype of "boy will grow up to be engineer/girl will grow up to be teacher" comes into force here. These gender stereotypes are only reinforced by us repeatedly until they become the norm. Let's now break away from the norms. Girls can be technically sound and boys can enjoy reading too. Let's give them a chance.

"I'm saving up for my son's education and my daughter's wedding."

This common phrase echoes across many Indian households. We grow up with the mindset that the daughter is paraya dhan and the son will take over responsibilities. It's high time we tell ourselves that both the son and daughter can take 'responsibilities' and take care of the parents. A daughter's education is just as important as the son's: this discrimination is something the child grows up with. Thereby shaping his/her mind towards what they deserve and what's expected from them. Again, let's give them a chance to be who THEY want to be. Let them realise their full potential.

Mother is usually the first one to wake up, to cook, to wash dishes/clothes, the last one to eat after the family has finished dinner and so on.

This expectation of a woman to take care of the household duties, even when she works is prevalent all over India. Not just that, often a boy sees his sister being asked to help the mother, rather than him. Can we start preaching instead that boys too, can cook and clean? That the mother doesn't have to be the last person to eat after everyone has finished? That both the mother and father can take care of the domestic responsibilities. After all, these boys will one day grow up to be fathers.

Keep your Periods a Secret

One of the first things a girl is taught when she hits puberty is to keep her menstrual cycles a secret. She shouldn't have to tell anyone about it, she has to stay away from the kitchen or temple, and she has to take her sanitary napkins in a black plastic bag – to hide it from our 'society'. We teach her, in a way, to be ashamed of her natural body cycles. We teach her to be ashamed of herself.

Today, groups like Menstrupedia educate girls on myths about menstrual cycles, and that they don’t need to be ashamed of their monthly cycles, or their bodies.

Stereotypes can hurt Children

We often don't realise how our own conditioning and inherent sexism can interfere with a child's growth. Let's take away these traditional and regressive stereotypes from our children. Let our children be raised in a progressive and gender sensitive atmosphere so that our kids learn how to live in a highly competitive and gender biased society. Let's work together towards a society free of gender bias, by protecting our own children from it.

Are you Gender Sensitive? Play the Game and Find out Now!

Do you display sexist attitudes in your daily life or are you gender sensitive? Click on the game and play now to know your score on gender sensitivity.

Power Of 49 Manifesto

Before the elections started in 2014, Jaago Re launched a crowd-sourced 10-point manifesto about serious issues affecting women in India. We presented it to leading political parties and asked them to pay attention to our concerns.
Are they being followed through with sincerity by our leaders? Is India catching up with any of the points listed in the manifesto? See the manifesto for yourself here

Push the Pin

If you see instances of harassment against women, don't stay mute. Push the Pin here.

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 took this opportunity to explore what is being done to improve the status of women in India and how far we need to go to achieve equality for women.

We invited IndiaSpend, the first data journalism initiative to share their findings and opinions with us for a live twitter chat.

Here are excerpts from the chat:

Do you expect #Budget2015 to have provisions focused on women? #WomenBudget2015 #JaagoRe @IndiaSpend

— Jaago Re (@JaagoRe) February 27, 2015

@JaagoRe Yes, last year, allocation to women and child development was Rs 21,193.88 crore; overall allocation for women was Rs 98,030 crore.

— IndiaSpend (@IndiaSpend) February 27, 2015

The Homemaker: Does her work count in any way in the Union Budget?

.@IndiaSpend Are provisions generally made for homemakers in budget plans? #Budget2015 #WomenBudget2015

— Jaago Re (@JaagoRe) February 27, 2015

@JaagoRe Union budget makes no special provisions for homemakers. #Budget2015 #WomenBudget2015

— IndiaSpend (@IndiaSpend) February 27, 2015

.@IndiaSpend Are measures taken to focus on homemakers' financial development apart from giving out subsidies? #WomenBudget2015 #JaagoRe

— Jaago Re (@JaagoRe) February 27, 2015

@JaagoRe once again, nothing specific is given to homemakers in general apart from subsidies. #Budget2015 #WomenBudget2015

— IndiaSpend (@IndiaSpend) February 27, 2015

.@indiaspend Do you think the work by homemakers could be counted as a contribution to overall GDP? #WomenBudget2015 #JaagoRe

— Jaago Re (@JaagoRe) February 27, 2015

@JaagoRe No, in fact its not even counted as unpaid labour. #WomenBudget2015 #Budget2015

— IndiaSpend (@IndiaSpend) February 27, 2015

Working Mothers: Do they deserve a fair share from the Union Budget?

Scandinavia & Ireland have childcare benefits fr working moms. Are any provisions mde fr working moms in India? @IndiaSpend #WomenBudget2015

— Jaago Re (@JaagoRe) February 27, 2015

@JaagoRe Yes, ministry of women and child development has creche schemes for working mothers. #Budget2015 #WomenBudget2015

— IndiaSpend (@IndiaSpend) February 27, 2015

@JaagoRe Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme provides day care for children of working mothers. 1/2 #Budget2015 #WomenBudget2015

— IndiaSpend (@IndiaSpend) February 27, 2015

@JaagoRe Allocation towards scheme in 2011-12 was Rs 49 crore; 23,785 creches were built and there were 594,625 beneficiaries. #Budget2015

— IndiaSpend (@IndiaSpend) February 27, 2015

The 1000 crore Nirbhaya fund: How is it being used?

.@IndiaSpend What has been done so far with the 1000 cr Nirbhaya fund? #Budget2015 #WomenBudget2015 #JaagoRe

— Jaago Re (@JaagoRe) February 27, 2015

@JaagoRe #NirbhayaFund: allocation of Rs 321.69 crore from Home Min. for women’s safety. 1/2 #Budget2015 #WomenBudget2015

— IndiaSpend (@IndiaSpend) February 27, 2015

@JaagoRe #NirbhayaFund: Women’s safety project covers 114 cities including 41 highly crime-prone districts. 2/2 #Budget2015 #WomenBudget2015

— IndiaSpend (@IndiaSpend) February 27, 2015

Key areas Budget 2015 needs to focus for women's upliftment in India

.@IndiaSpend What are the areas that have scope for improvement for women as far as #Budget2015 is concerned? #WomenBudget2015 #Jaagore

— Jaago Re (@JaagoRe) February 27, 2015

@JaagoRe Improvement can be in education, safety, sanitation which can increase participation of women in labour force. #Budget2015

— IndiaSpend (@IndiaSpend) February 27, 2015

Budget 2015: Will it make it or break it for women?

Today we are still not living in a country where women feel are free of fear. Education, crime, safety, sanitation, financial security for women among others, are some important areas that need attention of the Government. Will the Government take the opportunity and let #Budget2015 empower women in India? Share your views with us. Please join the conversation on www.facebook.com/jaagore and https://twitter.com/JaagoRe

Disclaimer:

Views expressed here are of the individuals alone and do not necessarily represent that of the brand.

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 minds of Indian women. It’s not paranoia, just a nagging worry that doesn’t quite simmer down. Jaagore posted a poll on facebook and twitter and we reveal to you some of the views of our audience:

Public transport

"You never know when you're taking the wrong rickshaw. Or the wrong bus."

Police

"Not certain that they will protect us. They could put us in jail even if we come forward to file a complaint, because no matter what, in the end, it’s a woman’s fault."

People in Power

"Especially with a huge number of politicians contesting coming from criminal backgrounds – some even accused of rape and murder, you know it’s best to keep safe distance from authority figures."

Every single man

"Just cannot get too close to anyone. In the end, it’s a woman’s fault, better to keep distance."

Push the Pin for a safer country

Make a decision today. Stop living in fear. Push the Pin NOW and mark unsafe spots in India. Use the Power of 49 to end this life of fear and let’s vow to a safer and peaceful country for our women.

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 weightlifting and have broken records already, on the opening day of the competition in the 20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

Additionally, two more Manipuri women, judoka Shushila Likmabam also won silver and Kalpana Thoudam won bronze in the judo category.

Football fever has just receded post the World Cup 2014; and cricket fever, as we all know overshadows the tremendous talent and action from all other Indian sports.

There are so many other sports that are conveniently forgotten in India.

Piyush Sachdev, founder of Women Sports Foundation says, "Many Indians have cheered excitedly for so many countries at the Football World Cup this year as if their own country was contesting.

How many of us even know the players from India representing us at Commonwealth Games?"

A valid question. One stops to wonder when he further laments that Indian masses should stop abusing Indian sports players, particularly the women. "Why is the public throwing stones at us? Are we not worthy of atleast some respect or recognition, if not the lavish glory that's usually bestowed upon football or cricket stars?"

It's high time we start shifting our attention from cricket and football. Let's try to promote sports especially among the women of India. Let's give them a chance to go bring accolades for our country, and let's give them a chance to be proud of themselves.

Here's a look at 10 exceptional female sports players to watch out for at Commonwealth Games 2014 :

Rani Rampal, hockey player, 19 years

At the age of 15, she was the youngest player in the national team which participated in the 2010 World Cup. She is now representing India at Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Pinki Jangra, boxing athlete, 24 years

She defeated London Olympic Games Bronze Medalist and 5 Times World Champion Mary C. Kom in National Boxing Championship 2009 and 5 Times Asian Champion and World Champion, L. Sarita Devi in National Games and National Boxing Championship 2011.

Pooja Rani, boxing athlete, 23 years

Swept away by the craze for the sport in her hometown 'Bhiwani' after Vijender Singh, a graduate of the Bhiwani Boxing School, she won India's first Olympic medal in boxing in 2008.

Pooja also won silver in the Asian Boxing Championship in 2012 and added another silver at the Arafura Games held in Australia the same year.

She is also reportedly serving as an Income Tax inspector in the Haryana government.

Ayonika Paul, Air Rifle shooter, 21 years

She announced her arrival at the International stage by winning Gold Medal at the International Junior Shooting Competition in Munich in 2008. Her best result came at the Asian Junior Championships in Kuwait in 2011, where she won a bronze medal. She also missed the Olympic Qualification by a whisker at the Asian Championships in Doha in 2012.

Ashwini Ponnappa, badminton player, 25 years

She's bagged a gold medal at South Asian Games in 2006, and a gold medal at 2010 Commonwealth Games. She's also represented India at the London Olympics 2012.

Jwala Gutta, badminton player, 30 years

She has won the National Badminton Championships thirteen times all the way till the year 2010.

She's also scored a gold medal in the women's doubles at the Commonwealth Games 2010. She’s also represented India at the 2012 London Olympics.

Pusarla Venkata Sindhu, badminton player, 19 years

In August 2013, Sindhu became the first ever Indian woman to win a medal in singles at the World Championships

She broke into the top 20 in the Badminton World Federation rankings in September 2012. which were released on 21 September 2012.

She is also ranked 3 in the Badminton World Federation Junior Rankings.

Dipika Pallikal, squash player, 22 years

A 2012 Arjun awardee 2012 and 2014 Padma Shri awardee. Need we say more?

Joshna Chinappa, squash player, 28 years

Joshna was the first Indian girl to win the British Squash Championship title in 2003 in the under 19 category at U.K and was also the youngest Indian women's national champion.

She is currently ranked in the top 19 in the world (as of March 2014), which is no mean feat!

Tintu Luka, runner, 25 years

This national record holder is trained by none other than P.T. Usha at the Usha School of Athletics, Koyilandy, Kerala.

In the Continental Cup, Croatia, 2010, she timed 1:59.17, to break Shiny Wilson’s 15-year-old national record of 1:59.85 in the 800m event.

This performance gave rise to expectations from her mentor P T Usha and the nation that the 25 year old can bring home a medal from the Common Wealth Games.

*Image Source - Women Sports Foundation

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.

A lot of men who get into professions like dancing, nursing etc. face ridicule. Men are expected to take up more 'manly' professions like IT/technical, fireman/police etc. Our society has already prescribed gender to many occupations – which can result in a bias for those that break this norm.

Stigma for stay-at-home dads

India is still hugely orthodox when it comes to men staying at home looking after the children. If mothers immediately quit their jobs when a baby is due, then why can't the father? Why isn't the father allotted a paternity leave? It's time we let go of this bias against dads and grant them the time they deserve with their children.

"Men don't cry – Be a Man! Be Tough!"

Men who cry are supposed to be 'weak'. 'Ladki jaise rota hai'. Being weak is considered to be feminine. Why do we deny men the right to be emotional? Besides, being a 'man' inadvertently means being aggressive, tough and strong. Fighting with men is supposed to be 'a guy thing' and we can all see that's plain wrong. Men have feelings, men can feel fear and pain. If a man doesn't want to fight he doesn't have to be ridiculed. Let's break away from distorted and in fact, violent ideas about masculinity.

The myth that boys don't get raped

According to a recent Government study in 2007, about 52% boys and 47% girls were raped. More boys were raped than girls. Boys are also raped by men. It's because rape isn't about sex, but power.
By denying this we are only perpetuating the violence and abuse. We have to support male survivors of rape and help them heal from their scars. We have to accept that sexual abuse of boys and men is a reality in India.

Husband earning less than his wife feels 'let down'

In our society, if a wife earns more than her husband, it's considered to be insulting for the man. This is because we ascribe power to the man's salary. If a woman is earning more, he should be happy for her, and be secure that the family is financially sound. However, he faces an ego battle with her and within himself. We have to let go of these antiquated ideas. A man need not feel ashamed of himself if the wife is earning more than him.

'The Man of the house' syndrome

'Man of the house' often means being the breadwinner of the family. Men are also supposed to be the head of the finances and furthermore, expected to fix the bulb! Women can share these responsibilities and its undue pressure on men to be expected to provide for the whole family.

Always the 'protector' and never the 'protected'

A man is always supposed to stand up for his sister, girlfriend, wife, mother etc. He is supposed to beat up a man who insults his family, particularly the 'woman'. Why is he always supposed to be the 'protector'? Today a lot of women are learning not to depend on the 'man' and learning how to take care of themselves at all times they can. Furthermore, a man has to let his guard down and sometimes let a 'woman' stand up for him. Nothing to feel ashamed about that. We have to let go of these undue pressures we place on a man.

Bias/ridicule against anything 'girly' or even 'gay'.

It's wise to note how a lot of traits considered to be girly are shunned by the 'real man'. "I'm not weak! I'm physically strong! I'm not small!" Yes, unlike a 'woman'.

There is a lot of sexist bias women, and even homosexuals or transgenders face. The same sexism is faced by men as well. Sexism and gender bias can hurt all people – and it's time we come together to nip this in the bud.

Sexism/Gender bias Hurts Everyone

We have to face that gender bias hurts not only one gender, but all genders and all kinds of people. We have to work towards ridding our society of it. Gender-based crimes are a direct result of gender bias and sexism. Even our top-most politicians, police, law-makers, educationists and people in positions of authority have often made sexist comments. We have to free our culture of sexism.

We all have a combination of feminine and masculine traits. Emotions are human and there's nothing wrong with them. We have to learn to manage them in healthy ways and it has to be taught from a young age.

Are you Gender Sensitive? Play the Game and Find out Now!

Do you display sexist attitudes in your daily life or are you gender sensitive? Click on the game and play now to know your score on gender sensitivity.

Power Of 49 Manifesto

Before the elections started in 2014, Jaago Re launched a crowd-sourced 10-point manifesto about serious issues affecting women in India. We presented it to leading political parties and asked them to pay attention to our concerns.

Are they being followed through with sincerity by our leaders? Is India catching up with any of the points listed in the manifesto? See the manifesto for yourself here

Push the Pin

If you see instances of harassment against women, don't stay mute. Push the Pin here.

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. Post the Nirbhaya incident in 2012, many brave survivors like Suzette have come out in the open to fight for a long-drawn justice.

While many of us condemn rape, often we make statements that prove we are conditioned by a deep-rooted rape culture that is evident all around us. Go through the list to ensure we are not a part of the problem – the mindset that is causing rape and other forms of violence against women in India. Let's make sure we are instead, a part of the solution to end rape and abuse.

"It's your fault…"

"You shouldn't wear such clothes. You shouldn't have been out at that time. You shouldn't have been out alone. You should have been more careful. You shouldn't have provoked him. You asked for it."

The last thing to do is to place the blame on the survivor. Only a patriarchal and insensitive culture points fingers at women, shaming her for inviting the abuse. Women know the preventive measures and are on their watch instinctively at all times, yet women get raped. Why don’t we ask the rapist what gives him the right to make such excuses? Why do we back him instead of standing by the survivor?

The fault is 100% of the rapist, and not of the survivor. She didn't choose to be raped. He chose to rape.

"Are you making this up?"

No survivor of rape in her right mind, is going to fake an assault on her, and fake the humiliation and trauma that comes with rape. It is only our misogyny because of which we do not trust survivors. Let’s instead believe in the survivors and stand by them.

"Stop complaining if you enjoyed it…"

Such kind of perversion is nothing short of cheap. You have to put a woman in your family - your daughter, mother, or sister in the shoes of a rape survivor and ask her if she will enjoy a forced sexual assault on her. Our society has a narrow view on rape and sex because they do not recognize the meaning or the value of the word ‘consent’. A ‘no’ is a strict NO. Rape needs to be condemned and it needs to stop now.

"Are you sure you said no to him?"

A woman knows when she's been raped. Asking her for confirmation is asking her to prove that she's not lying. A woman who has survived rape is already going through an emotional turmoil. Most rape survivors suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSDs) and it takes a long time for them to recover. We need to believe them so we can support and heal them, instead of doubting them and defending the rapist.

"If we had a boy, this wouldn't have happened…"

According to a recent Government study in 2007, about 52% boys and 47% girls were raped. This means more boys were raped than girls. Boys are often raped by men. Rape isn't always about sex, but about power.

Besides, this claim perpetuates the stigma of a girl being a "burden" on the family. It's time we let go of regressive attitudes that say girls are unwanted. This kind of attitude is responsible for female foeticide and infanticide. Girls are and should be pride of the family. We have to learn to respect her, no matter what.

"Tumne hamari izzat mitti mein mila di! (You have ruined our family name!)…"

Our patriarchal society places a woman's virginity on the pedestal. Her "value" is determined by her virginity. Such value is not placed on a man's virginity. Blaming her for losing her virginity to rape is sadly very common in India. A marriage should happen based on love, mutual respect and understanding of two people, and not based on a woman's virginity. A family's "name" shouldn't be shamed based on the crime committed on a woman. Brave rape survivors like Suzette Jordan and Harish Iyer have openly spoken of sexual abuse, with their families standing by their side.

"How come you didn't tell me then?"

Harish Iyer, noted LGBT activist and survivor of child sexual abuse himself says, "Rape leaves a lot of blind spots in memory. It could be traumatic to remember everything at one go, so as a defence mechanism the mind shuts some parts and on trigger, makes you aware of certain parts of abuse. It is rare that a survivor will remember everything that happened at once, and be comfortable in sharing it with others. Healing is a cathartic process, that begins with becoming aware of what's happening."

"We have given you too much freedom…"

Right. Because caging a woman will prevent her from rape. Did it ever occur to anyone that perhaps we have given too much freedom to rapists?

"Don't think about it too much…"

Rape survivors often go through acute trauma, and start reliving the incidents. They consciously want to move on and not be trapped in this situation. We have to be empathetic and give them time. With support, understanding, trust they can move on and emerge stronger than before. We have to give them space instead of letting them bottle up emotions.

"But you look fine…"

Just because she doesn't look unkempt or physically hurt doesn't mean she isn't hurting inside. By telling her that, we're implying that we do not believe her. We have to have empathy and respect for survivors of rape, and give them the courage they need to move past this horrifying violation on them and their bodies.

"You don't have the right to live a normal life anymore…"

Survivors of rape and other forms of violence are not untouchables. They have the right to a "normal life" even more so than others. Many rape survivors in India are shamed to the point where they commit suicide. With proper counselling, support and understanding, survivors of rape can move on and be liberated of their scars, to live life just like everyone else does.

"Don't talk to anyone about it…"

By saying that, we're telling them they will be ostracized and shunned from society if they open up. Choosing to come out in the open is their choice alone, and it's not for others to decide that. Many brave survivors of not only rape, but domestic abuse, acid attacks and other stories of violence have come out in the open and have encouraged thousands in India by proving that they are not alone. Instead of hiding their faces, they bravely tell the world that they have been a victim of violence and have survived despite it, and are not ashamed to tell the world about it.

Push the Pin

If you see issues relating to women's safety, please report it and push the pin here.