What actions should HR and business leaders take to curb mental harassment at work? Share your thoughts.
Sushmita Banerjee was an Indian writer who was brutally shot dead in Afghanistan for standing up against extremism and oppression.
Sushmita Banerjee rose to prominence when her memoirs of life in Taliban dominated Afghanistan was published in 1995. Titled Kabuliwalar Bangali Bou (A Kabuliwala’s Bengali Wife), the book narrated Sushmita’s tale of marrying an Afghan businessman against her parents’ wishes, moving to Afghanistan, facing the challenges of life under the Taliban and eventually making a daring escape back to India. The book made Banerjee a household name and in 2003, a Bollywood movie named Escape From Taliban was made based on her story, starring Manisha Koirala.
In Afghanistan, Sushmita Banerjee was repeatedly harassed for several perceived slights such as refusing to convert to Islam, refusing to wear a burka as well as refusing to close down a pharmacy which she ran to help the local women.
Earlier this year, Sushmita Banerjee returned to Afghanistan where she continued her work in healthcare and was planning to write another book. However, sadly, it was not to be. On September 4th she was abducted and murdered. May her soul rest in peace.
Why we find her inspiring:
– For shining light on the tyranny and cruelty that was rampant in Afghanistan from a woman’s point of view.
– For sticking to her beliefs despite imminent danger to her life.
– For being brave enough to return to Afghanistan to continue her life and work.
*Photo source: India Today.
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I wanted to scream with excitement that my daughter chose to write about her ambition and aspirations over everything else first. To me, this was one of those parenting 'win' moments.
My daughter turned eight years old in January, and among the various gifts she received from friends and family was an absolutely beautiful personal journal for self-growth. A few days ago, she was exploring the pages when she found a section for writing a letter to her future self. She found this intriguing and began jotting down her thoughts animatedly.
My curiosity piqued and she could sense it immediately. She assured me that she would show me the letter soon, and lo behold, she kept her word.
I glanced at her words, expecting to see a mention of her parents in the first sentence. But, to my utter delight, the first thing she had written about was her AMBITION. Yes, the caps here are intentional because I want to scream with excitement that my daughter chose to write about her ambition and aspirations over everything else first. To me, this was one of those parenting ‘win’ moments.
Uorfi Javed has been making waves through social media, and is often the target of trolls. So who and what exactly is this intriguing young woman?
Uorfi Javed (no relation to Javed Akhtar) is a name that crops up in my news feeds every now and again. It is usually because she got trolled for being in some or other ‘daring’ outfit and then posting those images on social media. If I were asked, I would not be able to name a single other reason why she is famous. I am told that she is an actor but I would have no frankly no clue about her body of work (pun wholly unintended).
So is Urfi Javed (or Uorfi Javed as she prefers) famous only for being famous? How does she impact the cause of feminism by permitting herself to be objectified, trolled, reviled?
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