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. The brutal image of two minor girls hanging from a tree have been splashed all over the newspapers and timelines on social media.

The cousin sisters were on their way to a nearby field to relieve themselves, which the villagers used as a toilet. Most villagers are reportedly very poor to build toilets in their homes. Badaun, like many villages, is plagued by electricity problems. Barely any homes have toilets.

The mother of one of the deceased recently told BBC, "I always keep my girls' safety in mind. I always accompany her and other girls in the family to the field. However, that evening I had to help my husband in tending some animals so I let them go on their own. I asked them to be quick."

While the underlying problem with regard to women's safety is deep-rooted patriarchy and misogyny; the fact that millions of women in India don't have access to toilets is bothersome. What's more, it also makes them an easy target for such brutal crimes.

Living in danger – No toilets for women

India is home to 594 million people defecating in the open; that's over 50% of the population.

Defecating in the fields is a dangerous situation as identified by villagers. For women, it's all the more serious. They venture out early mornings or late evenings, to avoid being seen openly defecating openly in broad daylight. During their menstrual cycles or at the time of diseases, it becomes even more troublesome to step out to relieve themselves.

The #Powerof49 Manifesto demands healthy sanitation for women

"Build 1 crore women toilets within a year with privacy and 24/7 access to water"

This was an important point presented with the entire Powerof49 Manifesto to the leading parties. JAAGORE has stressed on the importance of building toilets for women. (To see the entire Powerof49 Manifesto click here)

Toilets before temples - Will the Government oblige?

In a recent Associated Press report, the new ruling party has promised "toilets before temples" in their election manifesto.

In UP, a massive sanitation project was launched in collaboration with the federal government in 2002 to build toilets. Yet the most recent data from 2011 show that only 22% of the state's households have them.

The #PowerOf49 has a responsibility to fulfill, post the elections – to remind the elected government to deliver as promised!

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 facebook group Win Bangalore Back was created and within four days, around 18,000 members joined the group. The 'Red Brigade' members actively crafted a game plan to tackle these problems head on. The members of the group organised and called for peaceful demonstrations and protests to push the authorities to end such crimes. Many members have also been constantly contacting the authorities on phone/email to keep the pressure alive.

Thousands of people took part in such demonstrations which actually made a difference. The authorities spurred into action and the accused in both the rape cases were arrested two hours after a meeting between the protestors and the Police occurred on Sunday, 20 July, 2014.

The new Police Commissioner of Bangalore announced that culprits will be booked under 'Goonda Raj' - if invoked, it could mean that the culprit cannot seek bail for one year.

Through images, we re-visit the demonstration and bring to you some ordinary citizens that have been instrumental in bringing about change.

R. Padmavathi Bai and family

Her entire family of three generations made themselves heard at the demonstration.

We have little girls in our family. If we fight for this situation, tomorrow our daughters will be safe.

How can we win Bangalore back?

We need to educate our children and make them understand the value of a woman.

Sharmilla S, 33 years

Every time I hear such news, I feel angry. Then I feel despair.

I'm also a mother of a 6-year-old child.

Rapes are happening daily in India., and it's not just a few cases, but too many cases are reported daily. As a woman, I feel so unsafe.

How can we win Bangalore back?

Police cannot be everywhere. People need to speak up. When you see such incidents on the streets, don't keep quiet, stand up for others.

Sharon Chang, 42 years

I feel immensely upset at how depraved our society has become.

Punishment is not even severe for the lowest level of crimes.

We have no voice when we are eve-teased. Women have no support, we're all alone. When we fight against it, we fight all alone.

How can we win our city back?

I'm a teacher. Educating children when they’re young on how important it is to respect women will go a long way in turning things around.

Aneesh Vidyashankar, 23 years

I see this kind of news on TV and it disgusts me. It saddens me. When someone is attacked like that, they are helpless. I never want to be in that position.

How do we win our city back?

As a musician I think more musicians should perform at such events free of cost to inspire people and spread the message. More of such events where people can come together and voice their intolerance for such crimes will help win our city back.

Disha Sethia, 16 years

I feel scared to even get out of the house now. I never feel I'll be safe outside.

How can we win our city back?

People need to start thinking because one day they might have daughters. Such people, especially the 'eve-teasers' need to be more civilised. Besides, this city is home to many young people. They should come together and work for a solution on these issues.

Akhila, 16 years

I want to point out to the hypocrisy of our country - it’s acceptable in our society for boys to walk around shirtless, but when rapes happen, the blame is on clothes worn by the women.

How can these hooligans forget that they have a mother, sister or a daughter at home?

How do we win our city back?

Women should just walk the streets with confidence.

Xavier Fernandes, 30 years

Everyday I see news reports of such crimes. I wonder why no action is taken against this. I'm worried not just for women all over, but also for women in my family.

How do we win our city back?

This initiative is a good start. People have come here with genuine interest, on a short notice. With more events of public participation such as this one, we can win our city back.

Mark Rego, one of the organisers of 'Win Bangalore Back' group

As a father of three, of which two are daughters, I'm disgusted.

This campaign will be sustained. We have asked people who face any kind of distress to approach us and we will try to assist them.

How do we win our city back?

The people of Bangalore should wake up. You have a duty to the system. You cannot just say "nothing is going to happen" and crib all the time. Do something about it!

Will other cities follow suit?

For long, many of us have numbed down to the repeated horrific news of crimes against women. However, many residents of Bangalore decided they will exert pressure on authorities, and resorted to peaceful ways of making their dissatisfaction with the Government known.

A police constable, on the condition of anonymity also spoke to Jaagore

"More of such events should happen. The people boldly speaking to the Police such as in this demonstration here, will only help us realize faults in our management. It is a lesson for us. The Police will put more efforts in handling such crimes".

The Police and authorities have a duty to play, so do the citizens of India.

To know more about updates by the 'Red Brigade', please visit the facebook group Win Bangalore Back

Don't stay mute. Get out there and make a noise. Let's work towards building safer cities for women.

You can also Push the Pin if you face street harassment here.

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 eyes of their parents, husband or in-laws, shackled to their fate.

The girls from Yuwa, however, have defied the odds and broken the sorry mould. And how.

Dressed in loose jerseys and football shorts, you will spot them dribbling on the fields, diving, rolling on the ground and scoring goals at a dusty field in rural Jharkhand.

These young footballers made headlines when they brought home the bronze after playing at the prestigious Donosti Cup in Spain in July 2013.

Franz Gastler, executive director and founder of Yuva came down from the U.S. six years ago and made it his mission to train and empower young girls to play football, thereby fighting the evils of child marriage and girl trafficking; a common occurence in Jharkhand.

Apart from daily football sessions, they also have classes in English, Maths, Science as well as classes on women's rights. Additionally, Yuwa spreads awareness on taboos and serious risks surrounding them like girl trafficking and child marriage; to protect them against it.

Jharkhand has one of the highest incidences of child-trafficking, and is consistently at the bottom on most human development indices.

"It is common for girls here to get married after 10th standard," the programme director of Yuwa, Rose Thomson says.

"However, the social network of football is powerful for drawing girls together. It's an inexpensive sport where they make new friends and build support systems for each other," says Rose Thomson, who has been studying how sports can help improve the lives of girls. She is an American native and has been working with in Yuwa in Jharkhand for the last two years.

Now the girls have their eyes set on the next big championship. And no, it's not in Brazil.

The Yuwa girls are now gearing up for their second trip overseas, in America. The USA cup is one of the largest international youth football forums in the world. Yet India has never sent a team to this championship.

In any case, it's been no mean feat for them to make it to where they are today. When they attempted to procure passports at the local panchayat office to head to Spain last year, the officers demanded a hefty bribe from the young girls, humiliated and even slapped them.

Yuwa has been one opportunity for them to inspire other girls to break the confinements of rural and patriarchal Indian society.

"Society teaches girls to fit in. Yuwa coaches girls to stand out," Gastler says.

Thomson confirms that after returning from the tournament in Spain, the number of girls enrolling in Yuwa increased. Today, there are about 150 girls in Yuwa changing their lives in more ways than one.

On a parting note, Gastler says, "A lot of people in India want to do something to help society, but hestitate to finally get down to it. I want to say to them (he chides in fluent Hindi) 'Agar kuch karna chahte ho, toh utho, aur karo' - If you want to do soemthing, then get up, and do it!"

If you want to help the girls reach America for the US Cup, please visit http://www.ketto.org/yuwa#3

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 ministers gathered at the Legislative Home, Vidhan Soudha in Bangalore.

What is the Children’s Parliament?

Karnataka Child Rights Observatory (KCRO), supported by the UN is an advocacy forum that sensitises the electorate to include children's key issues in their demands in their manifestos and speeches.

From 2007 - 2011, children’s parliaments were held in 27 districts of Karnataka to bring together children for a debate on the situation and priorities of children.

The first Children’s Parliament was conducted at Vidhana Soudha on the occasion of Children’s Day (14 Nov, 2012) with Sadananda Gowda, the then Chief Minster.

"Children are not a priority"

"It is a big task for us to push for children's affairs," Nagasimha G Rao, campaign coordinator of the KCRO says.

Shockingly, he states that only 0.03% of the entire State budget was allocated towards the protection of children in the State of Karnataka in 2013.

He further says that from 2004, KCRO has been analysing the manifestos of all the political parties. There are absolutely no provisions for children in their state agendas.

Four brave young voices from the heart of Karnataka

Bhavani Kautge, Bidar, 13 years old

Our schools don’t have sufficient and clean food and water. A lot of children fall sick.

If a girl is born, the baby is thrown in the gutter.

Mallana Gouda, Raichur, 17 years old

I was one of the many thousands of children working in the cotton fields. Some kids are barely six years old.

The chemicals we work with leave lasting effects on our health. I have already had two surgeries, in the eye and my heart. NGOs have funded my surgeries. There are no medical centres, or even secondary schools here.

Government should cancel the license of factories employing young children.

Shweta Baskar Byondur, Udipi, 16 years old

"We cannot afford to buy bus tickets. We walk by the rail tracks for almost three kilometres to school daily.

My parents were forcing me to get married. I don't want to get married so young. I want to study and become a lawyer.

I now live in the care of an NGO. If I go home, I will be forced into marriage.

I now fear for the fate of my sisters.

Rahemat Banu, Gadag, 14 years old

"Teachers in our orphanages and Government schools ill-treat us. Out of this humiliation, many kids, some lesser than 10 years of age have committed suicide."

So What Next?

KCRO and the children have consistently been following up on the outcome of previous year’s meetings with all the concerned ministers. The children have written 50 letters this year, raising questions on the promises made to them.

Can Power of 49 make a difference to young India?

If the most vulnerable and least equipped section of the community are confronting the ones in power and holding them accountable, what are the rest of us waiting for?

Children are not a votebank. However, 49% women make up the voter base in India. That's a huge number. Let's stand by children and ensure our ruling system takes accountability for the youth of this country. These children need us.

The onus of teaching children to be better citizens of tomorrow lies with us. However, these kids are teaching us lessons on being good citizens. The roles have reversed and they are teaching us what we should be teaching them.

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 men arise from this. For example, it’s not wrong for boys to cry or for girls to be tough but we still find ourselves saying things that prejudice against genders. How many times have you said the following statements without realising its implications:-

The sexist comments we hear so often are part of a vicious cycle that sustains and perpetuates gender bias in our society. We cannot completely eliminate it overnight, but we can take conscious steps and change the way we say (and see) things. What we say has and will have a positive or negative impact on those around us, especially our children. By gender biasing in our day to day life, we are inculcating the same in our children, which, as we see from examples in our society, may lead to negative actions.

This independence day, we decided to ask schools and parents to share their opinions on introduction of gender sensitisation in schools. Watch this video to know what they had to say:

Power Of 49 Manifesto

The Power Of 49 Manifesto points out the need for gender sensitization to be made compulsory for boys and girls from Std. V to XII in order to counter eve-teasing. But there are a many objections for implementing the same. Comment with your views below.

Push the pin

Push the pin on gender issues that you think affect women.

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 chosen to spend her future with you, despite your past.

Why would you want to cook/wash clothes, you're a man!

Cooking/laundry is not a woman's 'job'. An independent person should learn to take care of himself/herself, irrespective of the gender. It's regressive to expect one gender to perform these duties, when the basic need of food and clothing is not restricted to one gender alone.

My dad doesn't do household chores, that's my mother's job!

Often we learn sexism as children. Both the man and woman should engage in household duties, particularly in front of their kids, so that they don't fall prey to sexist stereotypes.

She always hangs around with boys. She is 'THAT' kind of girl.

Perhaps every woman who has male friends has been subjected to this cheap perception. It's downright sick and ugly when you degrade a girl's character simply because she interacts with the opposite gender.

You're a woman - you cannot be loud. 'SIT' properly. You should be shy and demure - like a doll.

Women today need to be bold and assertive. Being shy and demure may be well-suited about a hundred years ago - today a woman also needs to be a go-getter. Being shy and demure should be a personal choice and not forced upon.

You're a woman! Don't be so aggressive. And if you talk too loudly, who will marry you?

Again, we cannot stifle women and force them to fit into pre-conceived stereotypes. When a woman marries a man, she accepts him for everything he is, so should a man. Being loud if she wants to make herself heard doesn't mean she won’t be supportive, loving or loyal in a marriage. If it wouldn't have been for their aggression, perhaps today we wouldn't have women like Mary Kom or Kiran Bedi.

It's not nice for a woman to laugh so loudly.

Why do we love to stifle every single detail about a woman? Why can't she express herself in front of people?

If she is a 'career' woman, she can't be a good 'bahu'/'mother'.

Having a 'career' doesn't make you any less of a mother, wife or daughter-in-law. In fact, you're financially more equipped to take care of your household needs. You also learn to deal with different kinds of situations in your profession, so let's leave behind such backward thoughts.

You're 30 years old? Shaadi ki umar nikal jaayegi. Why don't you get married and 'settle down'?

A woman's marriage should be her personal choice. Her marriage partner, the 'right' age to marry and such instances should be left up to her. We should trust her for making decisions that are important to her. It's her life, after all.

Boys don't get raped

According to recent Government study in 2007, about 52% boys and 47% girls were raped, proving that boys do get raped. Many men are guilty of raping boys: because rape is often about power than sex.

Don't act like a girl/don't be gay

This statement reveals not just our bias towards gender, but also our bias towards homosexuality. Our definition of 'masculinity' needs to be questioned. Does being masculine mean to never show emotions? Does it mean being overtly aggressive? Time to answer these questions.

Be a man! Act tough!

Why are our perceptions of masculinity so twisted? Does being a "man" mean being responsible, caring, supportive or does it mean having six-packs and showing off rugged and raw cockiness?

You  go out to 'pubs' at night. Ache ghar ki ladkiyan der raat tak ghar se baar nahin rehti. Good girls stay at home and cook/help family.

Just because a woman steps out to have a good time with her friends, doesn't mean she doesn't cook, or doesn't support her family. Why are we so judgemental of women? Is misogyny and control of women so deep-rooted in our community?

Ladkiyon jaise kyon rota hai? Stop crying like a girl.

Both men and women have feelings, be it joy, fear or pain. Contrary to popular belief, both men and women can express their emotions and are allowed to cry. And no, it's not "girly" to cry.

If u cannot beat up another guy, choodiyan pehen le haath main - start wearing bangles.

Being a man doesn't mean knowing how to beat other guys up. Often women can beat people up too - please see the latest news reports of women bashing up eve-teasers.

You wear shorts and go out? You're inviting rape.

Classic case of victim-blaming. Women get raped NOT because of their clothing, their behaviour or the time of the night. Women get raped because the rapist CHOSE to rape. Let's accuse the rapist instead.

Sexism is dangerous

It's time we confront the skeletons in the closet. Rape, sexual harassment and violence against women are a daily occurrence in India. These rapists and abusers come from our culture. They have learnt sexism and misogyny to a level that it has taken an ugly form in India today. Even family, social structure, law and politics often work against the survivor, rather than working for him/her.
It's time we keep a check on these age-old patriarchal 'values' and replace them to give way to a more fair, just and gender equal-society.

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.

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 protest, not just in Kolkatta, but also around the country, asking questions from a system that cannot secure the education and well-being of the youth. Hokkolorob, the war cry has become synonymous with the protest, meaning "hallabol" or "let there be noise"

Jaago Re speaks to Srishti Dutta Chowdhary, who has been involved in the movement right from the start. Here’s her first person account.

"Why do you even bother? Just let it be…" - An old friend told me over the phone.

It was time for me to answer that question, once and for all. Not just for me, but for everyone who made this choice (and the numbers were increasing by the day).

For every time I get asked, "Why? Why, Srishti, why?"

WHY NOT? Why not?

If I am a self-respecting human being, who considers herself educated, believes in the freedom of choice for every person?

Who considers the authorities of one of the leading universities in India to feel obligated, nay conscientious enough to take responsibility for the alleged incidents that occurred in their campus?

Who considers students of the same prestigious university be sensitive enough to the issue of gender violence, to not enquire of the girls' attire, sobriety during that evening among other things, thus indulge in victim-blaming?

Of the many reasons, there were some compelling factors that fueled the first few days of our protest.

I was informed of our VC's absolute apathy and his lack of sense of responsibility when he told off the complainant's father with 'Do not send your daughter to college for 15 days. I cannot take responsibility of your security.'

I was informed that the complainant had identified one of the accused the day she lodged an FIR (1st September). However, the police did not make a prima facie arrest.

On the 5th of September, two professors of our university (who belong to the Internal Complaint Committee) visited the complainant's house, without sending her a prior notice. They did not provide their identification, stating they were visiting as representatives from the university. They proceeded to the worst kind of victim-blaming and slut-shaming, possibly trying to 'internally settle the matter amicably' since it was after all just a 'misunderstanding'.

I have to talk about another incident that shook us all, and what has resulted in national outrage.

Police officials (dressed in civil clothes) and political goons attacked us ruthlessly on September 1, 2014. We were only using music and art as a form of protest, which was non-violent by nature.

Students were thrown around like flying discs, thrashed against one another, slammed on the floor, bashed, lathi-charged, repeatedly kicked, dragged across the floor in plain sight (albeit in the dark), punched and assaulted. Women were groped, shoved by their breasts, dragged by their hair, molested, their clothes torn off their bodies. A number of students were stomped on, walked and booted over and squashed under heels. Flower-pots were broken over the heads of the students who had ducked down, some of them were even beaten with chappals. What should also be mentioned is how the lights were switched off from inside the building right when the barricade was broken, with goons and police rushing in.

Our students, who did not retaliate, even at the face of brutal assault, were dragged to police vans to be detained/arrested. Around 37 students were taken to the police station, while almost the same number of students needed immediate hospitalization.

The Police Commissioner was quoted regarding the incident as: 'Police were sensitive and patient while dealing with the matter' a day later.

After the 17th September, there was no question of me backing out. What was a movement in Jadavpur University that strived for justice grew overnight into a movement that demanded answers from a system that deems it necessary to lathicharge and molest students in the dark, that too students non-violently demonstrating against the apathy of the university authorities towards an impartial, independent investigationAfter the 17th September, there was no question of me backing out. What was a movement in Jadavpur University that strived for justice grew overnight into a movement that demanded answers from a system that deems it necessary to lathicharge and molest students in the dark, that too students non-violently demonstrating against the apathy of the university authorities towards an impartial, independent investigation.

On the 20th of September, according to estimates of Kolkata Police, over 1.1 lakh people (mostly young, many students from various institutions in the state) walked, braving heavy rain and probable resistance by state machinery. The ‘michhil’, as it were, was spontaneously managed and supervised by self-appointed young students as they formed lines (lines can be formed of a protest march so gigantic in size) and delivered slogans, old and new, paying little heed to the constant downpour. The mass participation that day was spontaneous. While we tried and mobilized as many people as possible, none of us enjoy an extent of influence so large as to bring in over 1 lakh people for a protest march on a Saturday.

Following the brutal incident on 17th September, the students across the three faculties as well as the professors are unanimous in their stance of class boycott till our current VC resigns. On the 25th of September, the VC entered his office. The Pro VC submitted his letter of resignation the very same day refusing to share office with the VC, blaming him completely for having brought in the police in the campus on the night of the incident without any discussion with any EC member, thus holding him solely responsible for what happened that night. JUTA, meanwhile, has decided to boycott the VC in all matters administrative till he resigns. We are working hard on making sure our demands are met by the university and taking care our issue does not fade from the collective memory of the general mass.

(I am Srishti Dutta Chowdhury from the Department of Comparative Literature (UG II) of Jadavpur University. I read books and listen to music to most part of the day; and write when I can't help but write).

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 gangraped and killed.

Conflicting reports emerged later, where this was said to be a case or either suicide or honour killing. Till date, the details of the case remain murky. Uttar Pradesh, incidentally is in the news very often for brutal and repeated crimes against women.

Uber rape case in Delhi

The driver of a well-known radio cab service raped a woman who hired his cab in Delhi, days before the 2nd death anniversary of Nirbhaya. The accused, Shiv Kumar Yadav is a repeat offender and has been accused of rape prior to this. The cab service, Uber was banned in Delhi soon afterwards. Many Indians were shocked and a furore was raised over the safety of women using public transport, particularly radio cab services that had grown popular as a convenient and safe mode of transport. Other cab services and their safety regulations also came under question.

Honour killing of a young Delhi girl by her own parents

A 21-year-old girl was murdered by her parents for marrying a girl outside her caste and community. She was studying at a prominent college in Delhi University campus. Several other cases of honour killing have occurred in India, where parents and relatives of the youth have murdered them for ruining family's "pride and honour" for marrying outside of their community.

Minors raped in school in Bangalore

Around five different incidents, where minors as young as three were raped by members of the school staff at the school itself made headlines. Soon afterwards, the city was shut down and several parents protested demanding safety for their children. The Police commissioner of Bangalore was transferred and a new police commissioner took over the city, yet these crimes haven't reduced in number.

Inappropriate statements by politicians and leading authority figures

From placing the blame on woman's clothes to the places she visit, to the timing of her visit to blaming cell phones, fast food, non-veg food. "Sometimes it's right, sometimes It's wrong." "Boys will be boys," and other ridiculous statements have been made by many politicians, often by women too. Being figures of authority, they must exercise more prudence in help turn this country safer for women. Putting their own foot in the mouth is not reducing the brutal crimes against women in India.

13 women died at mass government-run botched sterilisation camps

In Chhattisgarh, a severe case of negligence resulted in the death of thirteen women at state-run sterilization camps. Reports of haphazard sterilization where many women were forced into it came to the fore. Health care measures came into question by the public and the media. Recently, Indian Government has also slashed the budget for health care, which is already one of the poorest in the world. 

Best things that happened to Indian women in 2014

Michelle Obama felicitated Indian acid attack survivor Laxmi

At the age of 16, Laxmi was attacked with acid by her friend's 32-year-old brother. 9 years later, she has been instrumental in making laws tougher and in favour of acid attack survivors. She was invited to the US and the title ‘Women of Courage' was conferred upon her by Michelle Obama, first lady of US. Acid attacks are very common in India, usually to avenge a woman or in case of jealousy, where the attacker aims to scar a woman mentally and physically for life.

18 minor girls from Jharkhand represent India at the USA football cup

Part of the NGO Yuwa, the lives of 18 minor girls changed when the founder of the NGO trained them and took them to Spain for a football cup some months ago. Later this year, they did India proud as they were the first Indian team to make it to the US for the football cup. Jharkhand is a state where cases of child marriages, child trafficking and child abuse are routine.

33% reservation for women in Police force in Union Territories

All union territories, including Delhi will have 33% reservation for women in the police force. The women's reservation Bill which seeks 33% representation of women in politics still remains on the backburner. This maybe a welcome move and hopefully this will ward off the vicious crimes against women which mars our country today.

Are we prepared for 2015?

The number of crimes against women has not reduced whatsoever, with more and more horrifying crimes making headlines every other day. Petitions, movements, awareness campaigns and many measures have been undertaken by committed activists, and also conscious citizens, but is that enough?

Is women's safety a priority for the Government at all?

Are we prepared to see the year 2015 in a good stead? Please let us know in comments below.

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.

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 literal meaning of Jyoti in Hindi is Ray of Light. But the light in her life was sucked out when she was diagnosed with HIV on account of medical negligence eight years ago.

Learning that she is HIV positive

I was already married for over a year when I contracted HIV in 2006. I was tested HIV positive through medical negligence while undergoing abortion, likely through infected needles or through unsterilized operation equipments.

After learning that I was HIV-positive, I was very afraid of the stigma and didn’t know how to face society. My health started to deteriorate physically, mentally and emotionally as well. Slowly, my ex-husband put me in the background, fell in love with someone else and divorced me.

Braving the World

It took me five years to come out in the open as HIV-positive. I came out because of an HIV activist in America who inspired me through Facebook. I already had to cope with another disability—hearing loss—along with HIV. It is not easy, but I have no choice. I have learnt to live with it, and it has given me much more than I could have ever wanted.

For me, being HIV-positive is a blessing in disguise. I accept it. I have a virus. That is me. If you don’t like me, that is not my problem.

I meditate and chant to connect closely with God, which helps me. What food is to the body, chanting and meditation are to the soul.

Today, I am an IT professional, a computer engineer, an Internet blogger, and at the same time I devote myself to serving people with HIV and AIDS. I always say that viruses don’t discriminate against anyone, but people do, so my message is this: Don’t judge us because of the virus. We don’t want pity or sympathy, just love.

Being HIV-positive is a new beginning, the new start of life, a fresh hope! Don’t let the virus destroy you. Life is short. Live it. Love it

Breaking the Myths

HIV is nothing but a mere virus and all you need is proper education on health and safety measures to lead a normal, healthy and happy life.

Medical science has truly advanced. The disease can be kept under control by strict adherence to medication and proper diet, just like diabetics taking daily insulin to keep sugar levels in check.

The more I found out about HIV, the more I wanted to know and I was in awe of how much ignorance there was, and how the very ignorance led to stigma, discrimination, fear, hatred and ostracism in the society.

Second chance at Life

In October 2013, Jyoti found love again and tied the knot with Vivek Surve

Here, in India, HIV/AIDS is a curse and those who are living with it are treated as 'untouchables'. I want to reach out, through the powers of media, to even the remotest place, and extend my hands to those crying for love, care and acceptance.

Jyoti is a part of various mobility projects breaking the taboo of HIV survivors and is the Indian Ambassador of the Stigma Project that addresses the societal concerns of people living with HIV.

"In a conservative country like ours, I want to expose myself to show that HIV is not related only to the poor, the downtrodden, prostitute or drug/sex addicts. Even your well-do-to neighbour could be one! We need to reach out, speak up and be heard!

Indeed, it's my mission to help make the world a better place to live in for people living with HIV/AIDS."

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. The very idea of criminalising marital rape is seen as a “western” concept by many. However, does that mean marital rape does not happen in India? There are many questions regarding how we as a society perceive marital rape, and we invited experts for a twitter discussion to throw some light on the issue.

The discussion was held on the topic ‘Why do we not consider marital rape as a crime?' with experts Ashwin Mohan and Scherry Siganporia on the panel, and people joined in to share their views and raise questions on the issue. The conversation revolved around questions on whether marital rape is a crime, why is it not considered as a crime, what are the stigmas attached to it, and how the mindset of people regarding marital rape can be changed. Here are few points from the conversation:

Marital rape as a crime

Stigmas attached

Changing mentality

Interesting opinions

The discussion highlighted key issues in accepting and recognising marital rape as a crime in India. There are stigmas attached to the concept of rape within a marriage that cannot be undone unless people realise that no marriage can be sacred if it involves heinous acts like rape, be it on men or on women. Our experts pointed out that first, non-consensual sex within a marriage needs to be considered as rape, and only then will people realise that it is a crime. Besides, to tackle sexual offences within marriages, authorities too need to recognise and criminalise marital rape. Stringent laws, awareness and open discussions can help addressing the issue of marital rape.

If you have any opinions on the issue, feel free to write to us.

More about the Experts:

Ashwin Mohan is an activist working towards gender equality. He is a trustee at the non-profit Na Boli trust and he creates free programmes on handling consent and rejection so that such issues can be handled with non-violence. He is also a keen observer of the ways in which patriarchy operates.

Scherry Siganporia is Technical Advisor, and a Gender Equality and Human Rights Expert. She has worked extensively towards social transformation in HIV/AIDS and Health sector in India, women's and children's safety and social empowerment, and gender sensitisation. She also helped set up the first ever helpline for drug addiction and substance abuse.

Disclaimer:

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