Poornima Kulathu

I am a banker, author, poet and an intersectional feminist. Speaking up on social issues, mentoring and coaching and cooking up a storm for friends and a certain strapping 21 year old boy are what gets me up in the morning. Hope to revive the singing sometime, as well.

Voice of Poornima Kulathu

Respect Or Simply Obedience — What Do Indian Parents Expect From Their Children?

Most Indian parents confuse respect with blind obedience, and even fear. Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani shed light on some of these aspects.

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My Mother, The Unexpected Feminist

By living life mostly on her terms, my mother taught me to do the same. I inherited her intensity, her self assurance, stubbornness and assertion, and I learnt later that she was insanely proud of me.

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8 Things You DON’T Do Or Tell A Cancer Patient Or Survivor

When a cancer patient or survivor shares their story, it is not an invitation to dump either your toxic positivity or your stories of someone who "did not survive" on them. Be more mindful.

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Shraddha Walkar murder
Shraddha Walkar Murder Case Shows Utter Social Apathy For Women Who Don’t Conform To Patriarchy

What does it tell us about the apathy and irresponsible behaviour of society when a murder committed in May does not become known until November?

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Maja Ma Is A Half Hearted Attempt At Too Many Things With Too Little Nuance And Lazy Writing

If the director did indeed want to explore non sexual loving relationships between people in Maja Ma, that needed to be delved into in more detail with a lot more nuance and depth.

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Do You Have A Safe House To Go To If You Feel Unsafe In Your Own Home?

The arranged marriage system that sends our daughters to homes of almost strangers means that they are always vulnerable to unknown dangers.

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Do You Struggle With Sticking To A Regular Fitness Routine? 10 Foolproof Tips That Helped Me!

You can make tiny adjustments in your schedule so you still stay on track and your body is buzzing with all the dopamine you need.

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vaginal birth
Why Do We Call A Vaginal Birth A ‘Normal’ Delivery? Or Shame Moms Who Couldn’t?

Calling a vaginal birth a 'normal' or 'natural' birth was probably appropriate years ago when Caesarian births were rare, in an emergency.

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Radhika Gupta
Radhika Gupta, CEO Of Edelweiss, On How To Access The Limitless Possibilities As A Working Woman

Radhika Gupta's memoir Limitless made me ask - how can we address the issue of the difficulty women have in breaking the glass ceiling, without addressing patriarchy and its stifling, death grip around women’s necks?

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taking initiative
Why Don’t Men Take Any Initiative At Home When They Easily Do It At Work?

At what point, do men - smart as a whip and raring to go in their careers, become these little babies at home incapable of doing a job without being told what to do and how to do it?

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matrimonial cruelty
According To Kochi HC Disregarding Husband’s ‘Warning’ Is Cruelty – Is A Wife Property Of Husband?

What kind of deeply rooted patriarchy and insecurity make a husband feel his wife has "defied him" if she talks to other men "despite his warning her" not to?

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women's day celebration ideas
7 Women’s Day Celebration Ideas For IWD 2022 In The Time Of The Hybrid Work Model

Looking for creative Women's Day celebration ideas that align with this year's themes and also doable in current times? Here's help.

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International Women's Day 2022
10 Actionable Steps On Gender Equality At Work Needed NOW: International Women’s Day 2022

As International Women's Day 2022 approaches, let us understand that we cannot sustain economic progress without taking concrete steps for gender equality at the workplace.

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patriarchal bargain
Patriarchal Bargain Is Why Indian Mothers Place Sons Above Daughters & We Laugh At Sexist Jokes

The most popular example of patriarchal bargain is the MIL-DIL relationship. Much like ragging in colleges, you agree to subservience when you are a fresher or a daughter in law, knowing your turn will come.

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The Real Reason We Have Too Few Women Leaders At The Workplace

Women leaders are more likely to invest in people over processes, and prove time and again to approach decision making with empathy. They are less transactional and more tactical in their relationship with employees, leading to lower attrition levels and development of talent.

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Would You Tell Your Son In Law “Don’t Come Over, We Want To Spend Time Only With Our Daughter”?!

Before expecting the daughter in law to love, respect and accept the new family, it is only fair that the family demonstrates all of these first.

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Bollywood, Learn Your South India Well Before You Make A Movie About Us; Regards, A Tamilian

What is the pressing need to make characters South Indian, really when their culture isn’t pivotal to the story? And when the makers haven’t spent a minute learning about the culture or the language except the word Ayyo?

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Men In A Relationship With Women Half Their Age Must Be Held Responsible, Not The Much Younger Women!

Cis men get away with doing so little, while the humungous responsibility of moral behavior and consequently upholding the morality of a family rests on a woman, her body, her vagina.

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What Savarna Feminists Must Do To Enable Dalit Bahujan Adivasi Women To Speak Of Their Trauma

If you are an intersectional feminist, raise your voice against the caste based gang rape and murder by Savarna men of a little Dalit girl in Delhi Cantonment in your privileged circles. Your voice carries heft.

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