WOMEN

The reports are everywhere, confirmed by various sources across the country. The coronavirus pandemic and the resultant lockdown have led to a massive spike in instances of domestic abuse. In a shocking report by the Press Trust of India published in early April, it was revealed that the Childline helpline in India received more than 92000 SOS calls over a period of 11 days during the lockdown, seeking protection from abuse and violence. The National Commission for Women has also confirmed a steady increase in the registration of domestic violence complaints from women since the lockdown was announced. But why…

குடும்பத்தார்கள் வீட்டில் இருக்க வேண்டும், அவர்களுடன் நேரம் செலவழிக்க வேண்டும் என்று விரும்புவதுதான் பெண்களின் பொதுவான மனநிலையென உலகத்தால் பார்க்கப்படுகிறது. அவ்வாறிருக்க, தற்போது கொரோனா  தடுப்பு நடவடிக்கையான இந்த ஊரடங்கினால் முழுநாளும், முழுக்குடும்பமும் ஒரு வீட்டுக்குள் முடங்கிய நிலையில், தேநீர், சிற்றுண்டி, உணவு, மருந்து, இத்யாதி என ஒவ்வொருவருக்கும் வேளா வேளைக்கு தேவைப்படுகின்ற சூழ்நிலையிலும், அவர்களின் மனநிலை அப்படியே தானிருக்குமா அல்லது சலிப்பு மேலிட்டிருக்குமா? அல்லது இந்த யதார்த்தமானது இது சார்பான வேறொரு கண்ணோட்டத்தைத் தந்திருக்குமா? கற்பனையே செய்து பார்த்திருக்க முடியாத ஒரு நிலைமாற்றத்திற்குள் உட்பட்டிருப்பது நாம் மட்டுமல்ல முழு உலகும் தான் என அறிந்து மனங்கள் அதை ஏற்றுக் கொள்ள ஆரம்பித்திருந்தாலும், உண்மைகளானது ஒவ்வொருவரின் முன்னால் நின்று  முகத்தில் அறைவதால் முதிர்ச்சியும் முரண்பாடும் சேர்ந்தே பிரசவமாகின்றதென பெண்கள் பலரது அனுபவங்களைக் கேட்கும் போது புரிந்துகொள்ள முடிகிறது.  இந்த வழக்கத்துக்கு மாறான சூழல் வாழ்க்கையில் இதுவரை படிக்காமல் விட்ட பக்கங்களை நமக்கு…

On March 2, women from several walks of life assembled at Jayanagar’s Kittur Rani Chennamma stadium and used their art to oppose sexual violence against women and gendered minorities. Organised by several women’s and civil rights organisations, the ‘Aman Chowk’ or Peace Square meet, was in line with One Billion Rising (OBR), a UN campaign aimed at stifling sexual violence against women. There were workshops, dance and musical performances, poetry recitals, conversations and artwork. Amid exhibitions depicting women rising against injustice, there was an 'aman ki razi' or harmony quilt that was being meticulously stitched by women. This was followed…

Dr Malvika Iyer, a bomb blast survivor, is a motivational speaker and disability activist. Using the PM’s handle, @MalvikaIyer tweeted, “ People with disabilities should have equal representation—be it media, politics or any other field. The more we see them, the more we accept them as part of our society. Representation is key.” Malvika wrote, “Acceptance is the greatest reward we can give to ourselves. We can’t control our lives but we surely can control our attitude towards life. At the end of the day, it is how we survive our challenges that matters most.” The suspense was finally over…

For more than a 100 years now (since 1911 to be specific), the world has celebrated March 8th as International Women's Day. Every year, the day serves to highlight the strides taken by women around the world and also put together an idea of what needs to be the way forward. The idea of an equal world for men and women is still Utopian, but everyday we take some steps to achieve it, though the fight for womens' rights is still at a very nascent stage. But for 37-year-old Sumangali Balakrishna, the idea of a world with equal rights is…

The Bangalore International Centre is celebrating women, freedom and equality with day-long events that highlight the strengths and vulnerabilities of women and busts myths and stereotypes of gender. Art, music, photography, theatre, books, discussions, films, workshops and food, there is something for everyone. The events start in the morning at 10:30 and run through out the day. Here are some events: Self Reimagined- A photo exhibition by Clare Arni The photographs in the exhibition are from a workshop Clare Arni and Varuni Mohan conducted with the class 9 girls of RBANMS High School, Bengaluru. They discussed themes of women’s empowerment…

City of Women is an upcoming podcast about how women in the city explores the calculated strategies, the backdoor negotiations and the sometimes absurd lengths women go to have fun and feel free in their city. Every Indian woman knows that being out in the city comes with rules - rules that determine who gets to be where and what you can and can’t do. But this show is not about those rules. It’s about how they get broken, bent, and jumped over when women decide to do things just for themselves. City of Women is fun, complex, and a…

Women’s labour is often unseen and their stories, often unheard. This unseen, invisible, and often unpaid labour is the ground upon which all ‘development’ in this monster economy takes place. We are witness to a moment in time when women are organising, fighting, and demanding their rights, questioning the very ideas of growth, progress and citizenship. In short, they are making their voices heard and making their labour visible. As part of our ongoing Satyagraha for the Sacred Economy, Gram Seva Sangh, Centre for Budget and Policy Studies along with few more organisations want to create a platform in the…

“Voice of Freedom.” That is how Kajal Singh describes her relationship with graffiti art. The 24-year-old from Delhi who goes by the name Dizy is currently in Berlin and has built for herself an international reputation as a woman graffiti artist. She was first introduced to the art through the Hip-hop culture which embodies graffiti as one of its elements. “Being a shy person, graffiti became my voice of expression,” said Dizy. “It also allowed me to go beyond the stereotypes set for women in society”. With its origins in the early 1960s in Philadelphia, graffiti art began when writers…

“Voice of Freedom.” That is how Kajal Singh describes her relationship with graffiti art. The 24-year-old from Delhi who goes by the name Dizy is currently in Berlin and has built for herself an international reputation as a woman graffiti artist. She was first introduced to the art through the Hip-hop culture which embodies graffiti as one of its elements. “Being a shy person, graffiti became my voice of expression,” said Dizy. “It also allowed me to go beyond the stereotypes set for women in society”. With its origins in the early 1960s in Philadelphia, graffiti art began when writers…