Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
Do I teach her that feminism = male bashing or do I tell her that feminism means to understand that every human is equal irrespective of sex?
As my daughter grows older, what do I tell her?
Do I tell her that you are equal to any guy, or do I tell her that you are better than any guy?
Do I teach her that your body is your own, flaunt it – hide it, it is your choice or do I tell her that its discretion is the better part of valor and dress appropriately?
Do I tell her that rituals are all patriarchal and you just don’t follow them, or do I tell her that follow rituals as per your convenience?
Do I teach her that all men need to be looked with suspicion, or do I tell her that not every man disrespects women?
Do I tell her that she needs to break the norm and become a bus driver, or do I tell her to follow her passion and be a chef if she wants to be?
Do I tell her that having a girl child is the only way you can get even in this male dominated world, or do I tell her that have a child and raise it to be gender neutral and you will contribute towards equality in the world?
Do I teach her that walking alone in the dark road in the night is not safe, or do I tell her that always walk with pepper spray in your bag whether or not in a lonely road in the dark night?
Do I teach her that cooking for your family makes you a submissive woman, or do I tell her that cook if you enjoy it and love feeding your family or else get a cook to help you out?
Do I tell her that the only way you can be equal to your husband is wear the pants of the house and keep the finances to yourself, or do I tell her that each marriage involves equal involvement of both the partners?
Do I tell her to demand 50% reservation in everything from bus seats to Parliament or do I tell her that work towards getting equal with men without demanding any reservations?
Bringing up a girl child in today’s world is just not easy.
Today’s changemaking organization we’d like to highlight is Nanhi Kali, which is run by the Mahindra Education Trust and focuses on educating underprivileged girls in India. One of the big challenges to girls’ education in India is that with pressures at home such as need to supplement family income or take care of younger siblings, and without a supportive environment that motivates them to learn, girls tend to drop out from school post the primary level. In remote villages, access to high schools is also an issue, with fears over girls’ safety leading parents to pull them out of school.
Nanhi Kali’s work is in building this supportive environment for girls to continue their studies, whether through post-school support for learning, materials support or working with the larger community to help them internalise the value of girls’ education. The project has a significant scope and is currently working in 9 states across India.
You can support Nanhi Kali in a number of ways such as raising funds, starting an awareness campaign or with donations to their fund.
Pic credit: Kingdomlight (Used under a Creative Commons license)
R’s Mom is a working mother in Mumbai trying to balance work, home and baby. Learning the ropes of new motherhood and wanting to spend more time with baby. Running to catch up with read more...
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Women today don’t want to be in a partnership that complicates their lives further. They need an equal partner with whom they can figure out life as a team, playing by each other’s strengths.
We all are familiar with that one annoying aunty who is more interested in our marital status than in the dessert counter at a wedding. But these aunties have somehow become obsolete now. Now they are replaced by men we have in our lives. Friends, family, and even work colleagues. It’s the men who are worried about why we are not saying yes to one among their clans. What is wrong with us? Aren’t we scared of dying alone? Like them?
A recent interaction with a guy friend of mine turned sour when he lectured me about how I would regret not getting married at the right time. He lectured that every event in our lives needs to be completed within a certain timeframe set by society else we are doomed. I wasn’t angry. I was just disappointed to realize that annoying aunties are rapidly doubling in our society. And they don’t just appear at weddings or family functions anymore. They are everywhere. They are the real pandemic.
Let’s examine this a little closer.
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