Rummana Abid

Voice of Rummana Abid

An open letter, from a child to their Mom
An open letter, from a child to their Mom

This is an open letter from a child to their Mom; when they are at cross-roads in their life. Dear Mom, I love you. There is so much you have done for me, that it sometimes feels unfathomable. The countless nights you have been up looking after me or praying for me. The unlimited meals that you […]

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Social Media: Has It Really Been A Bane For Readers?
Social Media: Has It Really Been A Bane For Readers?

Social media has its own pros and cons. One of the adverse effect it has had on us was to bring down our book-reading habits!

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Language And Misogyny

It is not the word itself but it is how the word has been used over the years that lead to it being a good word or a bad word.

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Badhaai Do Shows Us How A Repressive Society Can Push Someone To Lie… Just To Survive

The movie reminded me of the fights I had to put across just to assert my life choices and also the realization that with changing times the fights have changed.

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Gehraaiyaan And The Hijab Controversy

One should always agree to disagree and live in peace with disagreement but that doesn’t seem to be our case, whether its a movie or what a woman wears.

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Why I Won’t Dismiss Gehraiyaan As ‘Just A Film About Rich People And Their Infidelity’

Gehraiyaan, I think, is about a woman who is independent enough to live a life without playing victim, following what her heart wants.

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Canada Hate Crime: Would I Be Brave Enough To Adopt The Hijab If I Wanted To?

Would not being visibly Muslim keep a woman, a family safe if there is hate, or would it be enough just to be marked out by the colour of their skin?

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Aren’t Relationships Like Our Clothes; A Comfy, Well Loved Fit, Or A New One Treated With Care?

My relationship with clothes is so dynamic and immersive that it reminds me of relationships I’ve had with people. They're rather similar, no?

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Two friends
Friendship Across The Years: Some Freewheeling Thoughts On Friendships That Last A Lifetime

The nature and shape of friendship changes over time. While no two relationships are the same, even the same friendship changes nature across the years. 

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Where Will We Find Ourselves Going Once The Pandemic Is Over… An Impossible Dream?

Where we once lived in a global community where our family and friends were just a drive away or a flight away, now it seems like an impossible dream...

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A Journey In Search Of A Soul Mate

When a marriage is not a necessity to ensure the security of a relationship and such a relationship has seen at least 5 winters, I would like to call it a Romantic Commitment. 

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Watching Girl On The Train Left Me Angry & With A Lot Of Questions!

While Girl On The Train was extremely disappointing, did the makers really need to show a negative character with all the cultural symbols?

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Emotional Memories

A stimulating conversation between R and S about the relationship between emotions and memories.

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I Was Once A ‘Helicopter Mother’ But Here’s What Has Changed Now!

After the birth of my child till he was 4, I was a very involved mother with almost no life of my own. But, here's how things changed now.

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Watching Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani Again After 7 Years Taught Me A Lesson Only Bollywood Could!

While YJHD gives me everything I need from a Bollywood movie, re-watching it now taught me some things I didn't expect it to teach me!

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What Should Have Been, But Wasn’t…And Is Now…

And now as we sit on this change, helplessly seeing lives go by,The other side of it could be a different world...

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Being A Muslim From India

Beneath the anger and the fear, I am sure my thoughts and feelings, resound in the minds and hearts of most others.

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And I Will Not Bow Down My Head

"Mom, I could never get why I needed to bow my head in prayers. If God is what we say He is, all he needs is our faith. When I look down I feel fear, and I do not want to fear God."

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Friends Forever

Friends hold a special place in our lives. The author talks about such friendships which stood the test of time. Read on.

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Every Journey is Unique, Every Story Carries Meaning

A story may seem perfectly ordinary on the outside, but still carries its own meaning; indeed, every journey is unique.

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A Poem Dedicated To Sridevi As MOM

Sridevi in Bollywood was a powerful force to reckon with - her drama, her hysterics, her comedy, it was a powerful concoction.

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“Why Can’t I Fall Asleep?” Conquer Sleep Deprivation With These Simple Tips

Sleep Deprivation seems to be part and parcel of adulthood. To ‘sleep like a child’ becomes a farfetched dream amidst the trials and tribulations of adult responsibilities!

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3 Areas Where Cultural Norms Derail Us At Work, Even When Policies May Not

Interpersonal dynamics, often dictated by norms around 'how women should behave' can impact our careers, even when workplace policies for equality appear to be in place. Here's how.

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self care tips
4 Self Care Tips For Women Before Considering What Others Expect Of Them

As women, we usually think of what others want from us, rather than what we want for ourselves, so here are some self care tips!

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Zambia Announces 1 Day Of Period Leave Each Month In A Very Progressive Move

Period leave in Zambia is now allowed by the country’s labour laws, with a provision for women to take a day off every month to accommodate period discomfort – the day off being called ‘Mother’s day’.  Women in Zambia can now call in any one day of the month to take the day off without providing any […]

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Dating A Younger Man. What Exactly Is At Stake?

Dating a younger man might not be such a problem as society deems it to be, as long as there is love and very real affection.

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When We Call Alexander ‘The Great’, Why Does Taimur Bother Us So Much?

‘Saifeena’ have been blessed with a baby boy but rather than the birth, it is the ‘naming’ which followed that has brought about some unexpected reactions.  The trolling of Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor is definitely not a gift which they were expecting, from a country which really adores the couple. Well, the name is probably […]

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16 December Is A Good Time To Be Inspired By These Women Who ‘Loiter’ On The Road

On 16 December, 2012, a young woman in Delhi, Jyoti Singh Pandey, was brutally assaulted. However, a group of young women in India led by Neha Singh, refused to be scared away from public spaces.

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Can Parenthood Be Flawed And Limited, Just Like Any Other Relationship?

It is only the parent child relationship that we look at through rose tinted glasses. What if we considered parenthood a relationship like any other?

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Beyond Therapy: Some Reflections On Dear Zindagi & Why It’s Proved Such A Hit

Dear Zindagi has been reeling in viewers in India and all over the world for the past couple of weeks, and takes a honest approach towards shattering the stigma around seeking help for mental health.

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Serena Williams’ Open Letter Is A Must Read For All Girls (And Their Parents!)

Serena Williams’ open letter published in the British newspaper Guardian is well worth a read. It highlights the need for equality – equality in pay and equality in status – of female athletes. Women’s participation in sports has come a long way in the past few decades. Once again, an arena which was gender biased, is […]

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If A Judge Needs To Empower Daughters To Support Parents, We Know Something Is Wrong Here!

Why is it that we need a Court to step in and empower daughters that they too can and should support their parents? Are laws and rulings alone enough to eradicate patriarchy from India?

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Michelle Obama For 2020? Here’s Why She May Decide To Keep Away From It

The highly controversial US Elections 2016 are over and the country has chosen its president in Donald Trump. Is Michelle Obama for 2020 a realistic hope? I call these elections controversial because the country selected an offensive and racist, albeit highly successful businessman over a seasoned politician with years of related work behind her. Much […]

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Is There Any ‘Good News’? Watch This Hilarious Mother-Daughter Video On An Annoying Topic

'Good news' in India is synonymous with pregnancy. The Blush channel recently posted a hilarious video which is a conversation in song between a South Indian mother and daughter where the mother asks the daughter, "Mole, (daughter) is there any good news?"

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To Veil Or Not To Veil: Haryana Women’s Decision Reminds Us Why Choice Matters

Call it a veil, a ‘ghunghat’ or the hijab, a harmless piece of cloth which a woman should be able to use or not use by choice, without affecting anyone, apparently evokes a lot of tension it should rather not. On a lazy Sunday morning, incidentally, I came across two news items, one of brave […]

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Why Every Woman Must Read Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Recent Essay On Feminism

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's perspectives on feminism which are strongly rooted in her being black and being proud of it is what makes one want to read her work more.

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A Bazillion Tweets Tell Donald Trump That Its #NotOk Ever To Assault Women

Kelly Oxford, a Canadian author, social media blogger asked women to tweet about the first time they were sexually assaulted, in response to Donald Trump's offensive comments.

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Michelle Obama On Donald Trump: A Slam That We Need To Hear

Michelle Obama has spoken up on Donald Trump in plain language what should be clear to everyone - sexual assault by anyone cannot be condoned.

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Himanshu Singh’s Post on Facebook On Coming Out As Homosexual Is So Inspiring

Coming out as homosexual in India carries with it the very real risk of being stigmatised. People like Himanshu Singh are therefore the path-breakers.

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Is A Difficult Child Always The Fault Of The Parents?

When it comes to kids, parents tend to take up a lot more on them than it is considered sane to. Is a difficult child really the parents' fault?

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Why Sonam Kapoor’s Essay On BuzzFeed Hit A Chord With So Many Women

Sonam Kapoor’s essay on BuzzFeed titled ‘I Didn’t Wake Up Like This’ is an amazing account of what pretty much what every girl goes through in her lifetime

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Issues Of Agency, Consent, And Sexual Violation – Still A One Way Street?

It is time the gender inequality that we see in issues of agency and consent, and the objectification of women is questioned, and some essential changes made.

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Virtual Girlfriends At Tokyo Games Show: Insulting Women Or An Outlet For The Desperate?

At the Tokyo game show 2016 visitors experimented with Virtual reality mannequins. Will this new technology be a step towards a safer world for women?

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These Eleven Women Of Atenco In Mexico Were Brutally Assaulted, But Their Case Has Gone International Now

Years back, a crackdown on protestors took place in Mexico where several women were brutally assaulted. These Women of Atenco  have taken their case to Human rights officials.  Around 10 years ago, in the city of San Salvador Atenco in the State of Mexico, a crackdown was ordered on protestors, which led to brutal sexual […]

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Free Me… [#Poem]

How can anyone justify or even make sense of the rape of children - 11 month olds or 5-6 year olds? Only twisted minds can contemplate these things.

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If Our Boys Have Role Models Like Obama & Trudeau, We Won’t Need Feminism!

Barack Obama’s interview to Glamour where he goes to lengths to explain his own feminism is spot on - on all that one might need to know about feminism.

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Hillary Clinton – Just An Advocate Of Women’s Rights Or A Lot More?

Hillary Clinton. What would it mean for a woman president to head the world’s most powerful nation? For women's issues as well as other things?

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Is It A Lack Of Tolerance In Us That We Cannot Get Along With Certain Types As We Grow Older?

Age is said to make one more tolerant, but sometimes we find a distinct lack of tolerance growing within. 

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Why I Think It Is Still A Man’s World!

Is it still a man's world? Things have changed for women a lot since our grandparents' time - but in many ways, things are much the same, even if covert.

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Boys Don’t Cry! And Other Common Gender Stereotypes I Won’t Teach My Son

It is we who consciously or subconsciously introduce children to common gender stereotypes of "boys don't do this"!

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To Have A Career Or Not? Here’s To A Life Of My Choices

To work outside home or not, should be the choice of the woman, not a diktat that she has to follow. Here is how I exercised my choice.

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It Is Not About A Wedding, It Is About Marriage

What is really the secret of a successful marriage? The social parameters of caste, looks, finances and horoscopes, or compatibility and mutual respect?

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Do Not Put Your Mother On A Pedestal And Expect Her To Conform

Let us set them free to be human and live their life, even if our instinct is to idolize our mothers. Let us support mothers in their choice.

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Dream. But Should You Insist On Those Dreams Coming True? [#ShortStory]

As a girl, there were only some dreams she could dream. After all, what guarantee did she have that her dreams could come true?

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Feel Like A Social Misfit? Maybe It Is Time To Think About What You Really Want

Trying to fit in with circumstances is often important for social harmony, but sometimes it is also important to not compromise. Life will be good.

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How We Can Look At Life As A Game Of Slopes

Could we look at life as a game of slopes – a series of pre-destined slopes, where all one needs to do is maintain speed, temperament and attitude as per the gradient!

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If We Adults Have A Right To Choice, Can’t Our Kids Exercise Choices Too?

We tend to parent to our convenience, enforcing the milestones we think children should attain. Children, however, have minds of their own, and thrive when they can exercise their choice, doing things when they are ready.

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