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She shook urban India's conscience, if only for a short while, but Bhanwari Devi's fight for justice was a significant landmark in the fight for women's rights.
She shook urban India’s conscience, if only for a short while, but Bhanwari Devi’s fight for justice was a significant landmark in the fight for women’s rights.
Raped for daring to oppose a child marriage in rural Rajasthan, Bhanwari Devi refused to keep quiet in deference to the prevailing notions of “shame.” Her case made headlines precisely because it brought deeply embedded bias out into the open. A judge who refused to believe that an ‘upper caste’ man would rape a woman from a ‘lower caste’ – showed us that the judiciary was hardly the ‘unbiased observer’ that many believed it to be.
Shamefully, the case is not yet over, showing us how hard the fight is in India, for an ordinary woman – even one whose voice galvanised so many people. Nevertheless, it had an impact on many areas including the landmark Vishakha guidelines that lay down rules for dealing with sexual harassment at work.
Why we find her inspiring:
– Because she refused to accept that as the victim of rape, it was she who had to feel shame and cower
– Because she emboldened other such women to speak up
– Because the work of hundreds of saathins like her has made a dent in child marriage rates in Rajasthan, even if the progress is slow
– Because she has braved tremendous odds including social ostracism and poverty, and yet refuses to forego her principles
More reading:
A mighty heart
Bhanwari Devi and the Vishakha guidelines
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We are conditioned to normalise domestic violence out of fear of abandonment. Thinking that 'trauma bonding' is better than no bonding holds us back from speaking up!
(Trigger Warning: This post may be triggering for survivors of domestic violence. This post has been published especially to honour the International Day For The Elimination of Violence Against Women.)
Everyone said my perfect husband was like Lord Ram…. but this is how he took unfair advantage of my tolerance!
My grandmother was very fond of my husband whose name is synonymous with Lord Ram’s name. Every call she made to my husband started with the bhajan “Aaj sab mil mangal gao, Awadh mai, raam aye hain“. (Hail everyone, sing praises, Lord Ram has come in the kingdom of Awadh.) It was a mandatory welcome song whenever she met him or even spoke to him on the phone. Yes, his attributes were like that of Lord Ram. His attitude, chivalry, persona, fair skin, smile, height, physique and charm illustrate the perfect image of Lord Ram.
He was a generous man but she hardly knew much about the investments or their financial health. A couple of times, she had asked him and he had been vague. Now when she thought about it...
He was a generous man but she hardly knew much about the investments or their financial health. A couple of times, she had asked him and he had been vague. Now when she thought about it…
The Muse of the Month is a monthly writing contest organised by Women’s Web, bringing you original fiction inspired by women.
Chandrika R. Krishnan is one of the winners for the November 2021 Muse of the Month, and wins a Rs 750 Amazon voucher from Women’s Web. The juror for this month, Anuradha Kumar commented, “This introspective, quiet, story with its depiction of the relationship between two relatively older people is quite impressive. A lifetime spent together can bring familiarity and still allow for many mysteries and secrets. Also, the structure of the story, shifting from an external perspective to an internal monologue is well-done.”
Indira Jaising, the first woman to be appointed as the Additional Solicitor General of India in 2009 inspires us with her commitment to human rights.
Indira Jaising, noted Indian lawyer, became the first woman to be appointed as the Additional Solicitor General of India in 2009.
By Vyshali R. Mallya
She was also the second woman to be designated as a senior advocate by the High Court of Bombay in 1986 (the first was Sohini Nanavati)
Among the earliest Indian women to build large businesses, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, CEO of Biocon inspires every young woman who dreams of making it to the top.
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw’s story is one of self-made success in corporate India. Her story is special not just because she is a woman, but because she was among the earliest to spot opportunity in the (then) emerging area of bio-pharmaceuticals in India. She has also been an advocate for entrepreneurship in India, much before it became the cool thing to do.
While there are many women entrepreneurs in India now, there are still fewer stories of women who have built very large companies. It is not our case that bigger is always better, but – we do need some role models to show us that we can do it!