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Despite riots, protests and campaigns, why is there no place for the dark skinned in the society?
Barbie dolls are fair, cartoon characters are fair, almost everyone on TV is fair. From childhood everything you were exposed to that was considered good was fair. Everyone who is famous is fair. If not, they are famous for being famous despite their skin colour. White is always the dominant colour. This is the idea prevalent in the society, despite various efforts to take on this convention.
The natural human tendency to compare everything and everyone around them leads to a lot of racist comments, often within the family or the same peer group, with the fairer sibling or friend being called pretty and the darker one, the ugly duckling. The media also projects this idea with fair-skinned lead actors and casting the dark-skinned in side roles and blink and miss scenes. You can have a dark heroine only if the film is labelled art cinema, a dark model only if it is accompanied by a social media post that says the designer has a large heart since he got dark-skinned models to walk the ramp for him. No matrimony ad seeks a dark-skinned spouse, neither does it speak of a dark-skinned seeker, all thanks to the word ‘wheatish’.
All these often affect the dark-skinned, taking a toll on their confidence, self esteem and self worth. It makes them shun away from the public eye, and brings a lot of shame and hatred towards oneself. No one speaks of colourism, sssh, why would you want to draw attention to your skin colour by speaking about it, it is better left ignored, and if addressed, all you should do is bow your head in shame and feel dejected.
The few movements towards establishing that dark is pretty saw pretty(dark) women campaigning. The campaigns hit the headlines but did not quite hit the right spot in the hearts and heads of people to make them open their eyes and change their perceptions. Or even if they did, they didn’t gain momentum because it isn’t very easy to change an idea that runs deep and still enjoys support in all walks of life. It needs more force and representation from the melanin and mocha!
Past the period of colonialism, past the age of varna system, the dark skin stigma is still something that needs to be done away with. It is still fair that is lovely and it still is a long way for dark to be called pretty!
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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.
Menopause is a reality in women's lives, so Indian workplaces need to gear up and address women's menopausal needs.
Picture this: A seasoned executive at the peak of her career suddenly grapples with hot flashes and sleep disturbances during important meetings. She also battles mood swings and cognitive changes, affecting her productivity and confidence. Eventually, she resigns from her job.
Fiction? Not really. The scenario above is a reality many women face as they navigate menopause while meeting their work responsibilities.
Menopause is the time when a woman stops menstruating. This natural condition marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years. The transition brings unique physical, emotional, and psychological changes for women.
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