Picture Courtesy - Google
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I was under the impression that there's little about my life
that should create any sense of alarm. I have a good job as a software
engineer. I am fortunate enough to live in a decent gated community - the
kind of place that shields you from the daily tantrums of India's traffic,
water and noise pollution. Despite these considerable advantages, I still
wonder how it feels to be a woman in India. Can I really describe myself as
an empowered woman? And more importantly - am I free?
I have to admit that I don't even dare walk the few hundred feet
to the main road near my place after 7 p.m. in spite of the spacious,
well-paved roads; it isn't a pleasant walk at any time of the day. Too often,
I don't feel like I can stand in the highway without being stared at. And
almost instinctively when on public transport, invisible goose bumps springs
up all over my body ready to sense the slightest, unwanted sign of
harassment.
Even more disturbing, why does my mobile phone have to buzz with
an almost eternal stream of text messages from my family checking when I'll
be home every time I'm out after 8 p.m.? If it's like this for a 'fortunate'
me, what must it be like for the millions of women who use public transport
every day in this country?
Yes, none of this is new to me now, nor is it new to any of
India's women. Sadly, such experiences have become so much a part of a
woman's day-to-day life that many of us have stopped questioning the
injustice of how unsafe most of our cities are for women. But we have
definitely learned to accept that we should dress sensibly if we are going
out, that we shouldn't be stupid enough to want to stay out at night alone.
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The very idea of an International Women's Day first arose at the
turn of the 20th century, which in the industrialized world was a period of
expansion and turmoil, booming with population and radical ideologies. Since
those early years, women bear responsibilities for meeting the basic needs of
the family, and in spite of that, they are systematically denied the rights,
education and freedom of action which they need to fulfill this responsibility.
Did you know that one in every three women in India is illiterate? Even today
after 65 years of Independence, the literacy rate of women is just at 65.5%
as compared to men, who are at a healthy 82.1%. The vast majority of the
world's poor are women. Of the millions of school aged children not in
school, the majority are girls. And today, HIV/AIDS is rapidly becoming a
woman's disease. In several southern African countries, more than
three-quarters of all young people living with HIV are women.
Various studies across the globe show that when women are
supported and empowered, of the whole society benefits. Families are
healthier, more children go to school and the income increases. In short, our
society becomes more resilient. Every person should be first aware of Human
dignity, gender equality and empowerment of women. The idea of becoming a
soldier or supporting women comes after that.
Let's educate ourselves and
create awareness. So, are we up to it?
P.S.: I wrote this article on the occasion of Women's day - 2013.
—Roh |
They say people who don't know to dance have two left feet. Although, I might have two left feet myself, what is more interesting is I might actually have two left hands. Okay, I understand that's funny but here is why: If you are a girl or a boy or a boy who looks like a girl, you would probably know that it is a thing now to have a makeup blog or vlog or youtube channel in your name. I bumped into this world of cosmetics, beauty blogs and tutorials only a few months ago. For those who don't know about it, let me tell you, it is a crazy, ruthless and unbelievable world. Picture sourced from Google Heard of these? Snail slime masks, Placenta hair masks, Seaweed bathing creams, Microblading.... and endless other such insane stuff. These are insane but quite popular among beauty enthusiasts and they even swear by the benefits of such products. These are otherwise cringe-worthy products in my world. I use gramflour+tumeric face mask, Coconut oil hair mask and a
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