Check out these 8 Government Loan Schemes That You Can Benefit From As A Woman In Business.
In a series of posts called ‘The Women Behind Women’s Web’, we present to you the people involved in bringing you this website – some who’ve been there from the very beginning, and some who joined in enthusiastically during the first year. Hope you enjoy reading more about the team that contributes to Women’s Web. Presented in a Q&A format, this one is with popular blogger, Padma Ramachandran a.k.a. Hip Grandma. You can view her posts at Women’s Web here.
Intro: Tell us about yourself in a few lines.
I am just the aunt next door like the ones you would see in your neighbourhood. I’ve lived in an industrial town in Jharkhand called Jamshedpur. The multi-cultural nature of the place suits my temperament and I am glad to have interacted with people from different states of India.
Q1. Why do you blog/write? What attracts you to it?
I had been often complimented on my non judgemental attitude and my capacity of expressing myself without hurting anyone’s sentiments in a big way. I have always tried to analyze human nature and to understand the other side of things. I do it on a regular basis and I have like minded friends and we have regular discussions.
Blogging enables me to to put in words issues of social/psychological relevance and gives me immense satisfaction. It also draws out comments from my readers and I look forward to their inputs like a student waiting for his grades.
Q2. What do you like best about writing for Women’s Web? Of all the pieces you’ve written here, which is your favourite?
Women’s Web caters not only to blogging but to interesting pieces on health, home, parenting etc. The book review section is of special interest to me. It gives me immense satisfaction to contribute to a magazine that is different and serious.
My favourite piece among those written by me is the one on ‘Unusual relationships‘ perhaps because it deals with a topic that is not openly discussed at least not in India. There is a strong need to address issues that we would like to believe do not exist.
Q3. What do you think Women’s Web can do better/do differently?
Women’s Web should do something to promote inputs from its readers. A section that addresses problems faced by senior citizens in their day to day life would be helpful. I feel that people need to be made more sensitive to their needs.
Q4. What are the things that trigger you to write, that make you go, “I have to write about this!”?
Socially relevant issues attract me and I feel inclined to write about them. I would not want to merely remain a silent spectator to issues that do not directly affect me. I always feel that this could be me in his/her place and I feel the urge to write about it.
Q5. Who are your favourite women writers/bloggers? What do you admire about them/their work?
Usha Vaidyanathan of Ageless Bonding and Suranga Date of Gappa are my all time favourites. Both of them write with such ease on any given topic and deal with them from all angles.
Among women writers I like Shivani and Maitrayee Pushpa who are contemporary writers in Hindi. Idannah Mamaha by Maitrayee Pushpa is an all time favourite. Shivashankari who writes in Tamil addresses social issues and I’ve been her fan from my college days. Urvashi Butalia’s The other side of silence and Manju Kapoor’s Difficult Daughters are a few favourites. Here again I think it is the theme that appeals to me and any one dealing with topics close to my heart becomes an automatic favourite.
Q6. What would you like to say to people who are interested in writing/blogging but are hesitant to start?
The first step is the most difficult but once you take it the rest becomes easy. If you have something to say/share putting it in words helps not only in organizing your own thought process but also gives one an insight to it. So why wait? Just get going.
Previous interviews with the Women behind Women’s Web:
Freelance Writer and Blogger, Kiran Manral.
Founder-Editor of Women’s Web, Aparna V. Singh
Women's Web is an alternative magazine covering real issues for real women. This blog handle usually includes posts about happenings at Women's Web, interesting contests/events, people working on the website and so read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
Chetan Bhagat had no business slut shaming Uorfi Javed or any other woman. If he wants to 'guide' young men in the 'right direction' then he should take accountability for his words.
Chetan Bhagat, one of India’s bestselling authors, thought it was an ingenious idea to slut-shame Uorfi Javed, an Indian actress and influencer, at the Sahitya Aaj Tak literature festival.
“Phone has been a great distraction for the youth, especially the boys, spending hours just watching Instagram Reels. Everyone knows who Uorfi Javed is. What will you do with her photos? Is it coming in your exams or you will go for a job interview and tell the interviewer that you know all her outfits? On one side, there is a youth who is protecting our nation at Kargil and on another side, we have another youth who is seeing Uorfi Javed’s photos hiding in their blankets.”
Uorfi Javed responded with a video on her Instagram stories calling out Bhagat’s bluff. She shared the screenshots of his previous chat conversations with Ira Trivedi, author and yoga instructor, which came to light during the #MeToo movement.
While boys are taught to naturally own the space they enter, girls are taught to give up, to accommodate, to adjust since "it is their primary responsibility to keep families and relations together."
Yesterday, I was watching these 4 young girls around 16 – 17 years old play badminton. They were having fun, goofing around with all 4 of them equally involved in the game.
In some time two of their male friends joined them, and as part of round robin, the 2 boys replaced two of the girls. All good.
As the play continued, I started noticing a change in the way the game was being played. The shuttle was played most of the times between the two boys and there was a sense of competition and aggression brought in. The other 2 girls playing soon starting losing interest in the game as they hardly got any game time. Even if the shuttle came towards them, the boy in their team would move and play that shot. They soon moved to the sidelines as the boys continued to play.
Please enter your email address