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We need to create a safe space of women who choose to go to gynaecologists because these stories refrain most of us from consulting one.
I have always admired female friendships. That is a messed up thought, considering the pace at which we move toward a gender-neutral society.
Kerala made headlines once again by introducing gender-neutral uniforms. As a Malayali, I must say I’m proud. But coming back to my hypocrite thoughts, female friendships are different- maybe because I wanted it to be different (so it appears different to me).
“We work at a police force full of dudes- we gotta have each other back. Okay!”
I had goosebumps when Rosa Diaz said this to Amy Santiago ( yes, I love Brooklyn Nine-Nine). That could be the reason why I love seeing women standing up for each other.
Then something happened.
One of my friends had abnormal bleeding- which we later found out was a side effect of an emergency birth control pill.
I took her to the hospital just like a normal person, not foreseeing the plight and sexual freedom women have. She (my friend) was already in fear, and it was I who forced her to see a gynaecologist.
I was confident because Gyn as a doctor, has a better understanding of the female reproductive system and as a woman would be able to empathise with her.
It was a reality check for me. I still don’t understand what she (Gyn) was doing when they were given a class on ethics. Anyway, she succeeded in slut-shaming and traumatising my friend with all those ‘virginity saved for husband’ speeches.
This incident helped me a lot in understanding the very concept of women supporting women. Everything that felt easier before seems to be very difficult now.
The entire concept of the ‘good girl’ that we’ve been fed since childhood is traumatising. We are taught to look at each other with hatred- inciting internalised misogyny.
The ‘you are not like other girls’ is still a romantic phrase in Bollywood movies. The funny part is we have a lot more to deal with before talking about sexual freedom.
The problem wasn’t the bleeding or the probability of her being pregnant. The problem lies in the hatred, and the solution is quite easy- all you have to do is open your eyes.
Because, at the end of the day, every woman deserves to be looked at without hatred and judgement.
Image credits: Mart Production on Pexels
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Children should be taught to aspire to be successful, but success doesn't have to mean an IIT admission only!
Imagine studying for 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 whole years for the JEE exam only to find out that there’s only a very, very slim chance of getting into an IIT. It is a fact widely acknowledged that the IIT-JEE is one of the toughest exams not just in India but in the whole world. Apart from IITs, the NITs and IIITs of India also accept the JEE scores for admission. There are said to be a total of 23 IITs, 31 NITs and 25 IIITs across the country.
Now, let’s first get a few facts about the IITs right. First, according to the NIRF rankings of 2023, only 17 IITs rank in the top 50 engineering colleges of India and only a few (around 5) IITs are in the list of the world’s top 100 engineering colleges. Second, the dropout rate of IIT-qualifying students stands at least at 20%, with reasons being cited ranging from academic pressure and unmanageable workload to caste discrimination and high levels of competition within the IIT.
So, it’s quite clear that the journey of making it through IIT is as challenging as the journey of getting into an IIT. Third and most important of all, the acceptance rate or the odds of getting into an IIT are below 3% which is a lot lower than the acceptance rate of highly and very highly ranked US universities. Four, getting into an IIT of one’s choice doesn’t mean one will also get into a branch of one’s preference at that IIT.
Dr Nalini Parthasarathi, 79, based in Puducherry has dedicated 30 years of her life caring for people suffering from hemophilia.
It is amazing when a person turns personal adversity into a calling, and extends empathy to make a significant impact in the lives of other people. This has been the life’s journey of Dr Nalini Parthasarathi.
April 17 is World Hemophilia Day. Dr Nalini Parthasarathi, 79, based in Puducherry has dedicated 30 years of her life caring for people suffering from hemophilia. She was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.
Hemophilia is a condition where one or more clotting factor is absent leading to bleeding. Severe cases can be life-threatening.
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