Posted inGender
What Legacy Does an Ordinary Housewife Leave Behind?
The way we have come to view history, tends to paint men as architects and actors. But where are the women in our history books?
Posted inPOV
What Explains Indian Men’s Lasting Love Affair with Underwear at the Beach?
The Indian male preference for underwear instead of swimwear is not a problem of dodgy aesthetics alone. Like with almost all things Indian, there is a cultural angle.
Posted inGender
Sorry Seems to Be the Easiest Word: Why Women Apologise So Much
My daily tally of apologies is likely greater than the number of shimmies in a Katrina Kaif item number. Most of the women I know also dwell in this state of constant apology. Why is “sorry” such an embedded part of women’s vocabulary?
Posted inGender
India’s #MeToo: Where Sexual Harassers Decide Their Own Punishment
Why are India’s men silent on our #MeToo movement? It is as if men without women, especially daughters to protect, have no stake in this. Their silence speaks volumes: It tells us that women’s concerns are not important, that businesses can continue running with their band of mediocre boys.
Posted inGender
Hey Mister, How Long is Your… Spine?
It is nice to meet a man who plays the guitar, or reads Kafka, or travels the world. But that’s every other guy today. What is special, is to see a man who can get a male friend to back off, when he is making a woman uncomfortable. It’s nice to see a man with a spine.
Posted inPOV
Why I Might Lose My Feminist Club Membership
I think not having a #MeToo story to tell is a great story by itself. It is a story of hope. It is validation of the fact that we can rely on at least a few good men and some of them are on our side.
Posted inPop Culture
How To Understand Consent Through Anu Malik’s “Do Me a Favour, Let’s Play Holi!”
Future civilisations will think of the original inhabitants of Earth as a primitive race, which played a game called Holi with each other, but not before respectfully asking for consent. Until they find news reports of the accusations against Anu Malik, at least.
Posted inGender
Why the World Needs More “Difficult Women” Like Tanushree Dutta
Before we turn to Amitabh Bachchan to speak out against sexual harassment in Bollywood, we might want to tackle mindsets where we women actually have some influence. With the men in our lives. Let’s all lose our sense of humour when the jokes are on us. Let us be difficult women.
Posted inGender
“Ban the Burqa, No Ripped Jeans”: When Will We Stop Telling Women What They Can or Cannot Wear?
If you support the ban of a piece of clothing – a burqa, ghunghat, or a skirt – you’re still supporting the idea that women’s bodies, and what they put on them, can and should be subjected to regulation. Why should the world decide whether a woman should be behind a veil or cover her legs?
Posted inGender
Open Letter to the Man Who Sexually Abused Me. And Never Got Reported
Think long and hard about the way you – all of you, men – have abused, harassed, molested, and hounded women. The floodgates have opened. India’s #MeToo moment has arrived. There’s no going back from here.