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A collection of some of the best writing that appeared on Women’s Web in March 2016. Pick your favourites or suggest others!
This month on, here at Women’s Web, we’re going back to an old practice that had been abandoned for a little while simply due to lack of time!
I’m talking about ‘Editor’s Picks’ where as Chief Editor, I pick all my favourite stories from the many wonderful stories published here on Women’s Web. I don’t claim to use any objective rating criteria – I will simply be picking posts that resonated with me for some reason, and which I believe have been written beautifully.
Some of these have already become reader favourites while others may have been less noticed. Whichever it is, I believe you will find something to enjoy in all of them if only you go ahead and read them! So, without further ado, here is my list for March 2016 (not ranked in any particular order).
You Stare At Me And I Will Stare Right Back At You, by Lakshmi Padmanabhan
Staring at women is just one step away from touching a woman against her wish. This post looks at all that is wrong with ‘just looking’.
Big Hero, Size Zero – Let Us Talk About Gender, a book review by Anitha Ramkumar
A lucid review of Big Hero, Size Zero, a much needed book by Anusha Harihariharan and Sowmya Rajendran for teens and adults to explore the concept of gender.
Introverted Or Conceited? The Social Challenge Facing Quiet Women In India, by Deboshree
Are quiet women conceited? Or just introverts less inclined towards ‘a good chat’? Is it then fair to label them thus?
What If Neerja Hadn’t Stood Up To Violence – Of Terrorism And Domestic?, by Tanvi Sinha
Neerja taught us that saying NO to violence is important – both the domestic and of terrorism. Wouldn’t she have remained a mere statistic otherwise?
When The First Flush In A Marriage Is Over, How Is Reality Vs. The Myth?, by Baisakhi Mukerjee
Does the myth surrounding marriage really stand the test of time? What is the reality once the first flush in a marriage is over?
There had once been a home…, by Jhilmil Breckenridge<
This short story of loss and dreams, told from a mother’s perspective, sent chills down my spine. Nuff said! Go read it yourself.
What Can Be Done To Overcome The Confidence Barrier That Women Face At The Workplace?, by Kanika G
There is a decided confidence barrier at the workplace – a woman is less likely believe in herself and speak up about her ideas. What can be done to change this?
Motherhood Is Wonderful. But What About Who I Really Am?, by Seeta Bodke
A new mother muses on how motherhood is a wonderful thing, but why should it mean giving up all other parts of her identity?
Men Will Be Men, But Women Are Expected To Become Superwomen!, by Lakshmi Padmanabhan
A hard-hitting post on how the trajectories for men and women post marriage still differ widely.
Urmila Chanam, The Woman Who Is Changing The Way Women Think And Talk Of Menstruation, by Reshma Krishnamurthy
Urmila Chanam put behind a life of domestic abuse and came up with a campaign to break the silence around menstruation, taking it even outside India.
I hope you enjoyed these as much as I did. Happy Reading!
Founder & Chief Editor of Women's Web, Aparna believes in the power of ideas and conversations to create change. She has been writing since she was ten. In another life, she used to be 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.
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Many women have lost their lives to this darkness. It's high time we raise awareness, and make maternal mental health screening a part of the routine check ups.
Trigger Warning: This deals with severe postpartum depression, and may be triggering for survivors.
Motherhood is considered a beautiful blessing. Being able to create a new life is indeed beautiful and divine. We have seen in movies, advertisements, stories, everywhere… where motherhood is glorified and a mother is considered an epitome of tolerance and sacrifice.
But no one talks about the downside of it. No one talks about the emotional changes a woman experiences while giving birth and after it.
Whether it is spunky Lali or wise and profound Baai, overbearing Sui or a gracefully ageing Dilbar, sensitive Saiba or a quietly ambitious Latika, this webseries showcases women characters who are as complex, compassionate and conflicted as real women.
The first short film in the latest Amazon Prime anthology – Modern Love Mumbai( inspired by the much acclaimed Modern love column of New York Times) is titled “Raat Rani” deriving it’s name from the fragrant night-blooming jasmine flower.
*A few spoilers
Director Shonali Bose uses this flower as not just a plot point but also a metaphor for her protagonist Lalzari (a fiesty Fatima Sana Shiekh), a Muslim migrant worker from Kashmir who has eloped with her husband Lutfi to the city of dreams, Mumbai. She works as a cook-cum-nanny and her husband as a watchman in a Mumbai high-rise. After work they spend time with each other gazing at the sea, sharing ice-cream and taking a scooter ride back home, to their kholi, on which they have spent all their earnings.