Gender & Patriarchy
Fasting in the Name of Love
Karva Chauth has arrived. A festival of love as some call it, is just one more occasion for advertisers to ply you with everything from garish lehengas to bejewelled sieves and special facials and hairdos.
Why I don’t think Women should Celebrate Independence Day
Freedom is an unfulfilled promise for nearly fifty percent of the country who have to constantly negotiate their lives through fear and stigma. It was a holiday. A holiday marked by fluttering tricolours in each neighbourhood and loudspeakers blaring patriotic songs. A day before in school, I had dutifully stood...
Fasting for Spouse’s Long Life? It’s a Woman’s Duty!
The Hindu festival of Makar Sankranti sees women fast and pray for their husbands’ well-being. Why is there no similar ritual for men?
Unpacking Motherhood in the times of Bharat Mata and Gaumata
Mothers from our network reflect on challenges of balancing motherhood and work.
When your Gender Determines Your Pay
In rural Jharkhand, women are earning 40% less than men. But gender pay gap is a global issue - according to the Work
Why must widows lead a life of ostracisation?
It’s been close to 13 years since Ashpati Devi has lost her husband but nobody would let her move on. She is barred from attending festivities and is blamed for her husband’s death to date. She is unwelcome in community spaces so much so that “people don’t want to see...
Woman thrashed and abandoned for not paying dowry
The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act was passed in 2005 to ensure the safety of women against domestic violence. However, a decade later, women like Mamta, from Uttar Pradesh, remain without justice. Hailing from Baritola village of Ambedkar Nagar in UP, Mamta has been a victim of domestic...
Innocence Lost: Child Marriage rampant in Dhanbad, Jharkhand
In the Chatrutand Panchayat of Dhanbad District’s Baghmara Block, the practice of child marriage are rampant among the Bilhor tribe. Phool Kumari was married when she was 10 and conceived her first baby at 14. The baby survived a month. There have been no signs of any awareness seminars, camps...