mindset Archives - Woman Endangered

Talking notes on Menstruation- माहवारी की बात हो रही है

Suparnaa Chadda — Mon, 25 Dec 2017 13:50:27 +0000

On Purpose helped as an outreach partner for the distribution of menstrual cups through the #LetsTalkPeriod in Sur Nirman, Jhuggi Camp , Patparganj. Shrey is an intern with On purpose and accompanied through the same on December 14th 2017. Here is his first person account of his experience

WomanEndangered (WE) organized a drive to distribute menstrual cups and sensitive women about feminine hygiene. Menstruation still being a taboo subject, the #LetsTalkPeriod campaign is aimed to affect a change in mindset . This was the second meet organized by WE at Patparganj. The first was a few months back focusing on feminine hygiene.

Walking through the dusty lanes, the stench and dirt is hard to miss. The roads have been dug up from both the sides and a narrow stretch of 1 metre is what’s left to navigate through. All kinds of travelers navigate on this stretch- from the school girls to the holy cow, from the ferocious dogs to the young adults with dreary eyes.
Five minutes later I enter a compound. The veranda is clean, chairs are neatly arranged for the meeting and posters reading Mahila Panchayat organised by Delhi Mahila Aayog and supervised by Sur Nirman- Educational and Cultural Society welcome us.

I am not going to talk about the torment women have faced since time immemorial but what I will highlight here is the stigma still attached to even talking about a natural bodily function women experience every month. Suparnaa Chadda, founder of WE, pointed out ‘No one is hesitant to talk about facial hair and shaving but when it comes to periods, it is something shameful to talk about.’ This shame and hesitation to talk about periods results in various hygiene and health problems that women could suffer from. Suparnaa states that it is a sign of a healthy body and a natural mechanism to detox the body- a blessing for women, not shame!
WE beautifully talks about periods using the power of music i.e. sargam ke saath sur- sa re ga ma pa dha ni sa. Each sur is an abbreviation for the health tips to be followed while a woman is on her period. Sa stands for suti kapda (cotton cloth); wearing cotton clothes during period so that there is no rash or itching in the pelvic region, ga stands for geela kapda (wet cloth); do not wear wet clothes during period. ma stands for mahavaari (period); use sanitary pads or cups during periods. Pa stands for pyaar (love); wash pelvic region after sexual intercourse. Dha stands for dhona (wash); wash hands and pelvic region after visiting the washroom. Ni stands for khaana (food); consume nutritious food, preferably home cooked meals, especially while on period.

Along with sensitising women about periods WE is also promoting the use of menstrual cups over the sanitary pads. Sanitary pads are non-biodegradable and could also cause infertility in the long run. Menstrual cups, on the other hand, do not cause any problems in the long run since it does not have any chemicals. It can be used for 10 years effectively, saving a lot of money that would have been spent on buying the sanitary pads. Women can also take part in activities such as swimming wearing the menstrual cup. The cost of these cups in the market is INR 900 but WE distributed 70 such cups in Patparganj at the cost of INR 10, to ensure a value association and long term usage of the cup.

The event was unique since it was attended by 70 women, all from the underprivileged sector, indicating that there is scope to take up this issue across different sections of society. Suparnaa and her team will visit the camp again after 3 months to take feedback from the women to whom the 70 cups were distributed.
This is a battle against changing the mind-set and is a tough road to take. WE has taken the mantle to bring about a change in the society and this meet did change the way I looked at periods.
Come on India, #LetsTalkPeriod!

The post Talking notes on Menstruation- माहवारी की बात हो रही है appeared first on Woman Endangered.

3 women 3 stories 1 LCD

Suparnaa Chadda — Fri, 19 Aug 2016 08:20:23 +0000

Business, Films to Editing a glossy- Archaic mindsets effect us all.
So its been a great month both professionally and personally. At the work front we managed to pull off an event that was fraught with difficulties from the word go. And we pulled it off brilliantly well at that. On the personal front , I took off for the long weekend catching up with old friends doing all that old friends do when they get together after a period of time . Through it all different conversations with 3 successful women sharing their personal stories stood out, stories which are as varied as the different backgrounds they come from. One is a daughter of a successful business family, the second a celebrated actress from the south and now also a politician and the third an editor of the number 1 magazine for the media, marketing and advertising fraternity in the country.
B is one of the 3 siblings from an old moneyed business family. The clan has many brothers, uncles and sisters and a plethora of businesses to take care of. Despite this she took it on herself to prove her abilities individually and is making a mark through her forte of the media industry. As is true for the career graph curve for most, she went through a lean period which had her wishing she was also viewed with the same privilege that the male siblings of the extended joint family enjoyed. Her story is simple. While individual businesses were being set for all of the male siblings irrespective of age or education, her joining was never really an option to be considered. Not that she didn’t have all the perks coming from a well settled family, but it always has been an unsaid norm for her to get married and move on with her aspirations as per her future family in law.
D who shares the second story, has been a revered film actress of the Kannada world. She further also won an election and became the youngest MP at the time. Some peg her to be the future CM of the state. Her story highlighted the plight of actresses in the South of India who apparently were never paid or at least paid in commensurate with their efforts. Over a decade back when she joined the industry such was the norm that none questioned, not even the exploited. Most accepted it as a package deal for the oppourtunity to star with the big guns. When D put her foot down and took on further projects only when she was paid for her past due, the producers held the threat of dropping her and take on another profile who was accepting of this industry norm. Well, as luck would have it all the films that D did were super hits and the producers didn’t want to take the chance of upsetting her lest ill fate befalls the movies. The situation has since improved, to at least having the actresses being paid but to compare that with their male counterparts is still a far cry.
The third and final story is that of S, a feisty editor of a glossy. Vocal and a no nonsense persona who interacts with the media and advertising fraternity on a daily basis. We caught up for lunch and she spoke about her strained relation with her father who is no more and now her brother. Raised in a middle class Bengali family, disparity between the 3 girls and the son was the only way they knew. Venturing out to support herself after turning 18 she became completely self reliant with the writing assignments she took on to pave her way through her career. While the mother and daughters shared a great bond, but she passed away way too soon. The father of course doted on his only son supplementing his income for family of a wife and 2 children while all 3 girls were left to fend for themselves. And sure enough post his death the brother promptly advertised in the news paper of his home town, declaring himself to be the only surviving heir to the family home, effectively pronouncing all 3 sisters dead.
A media professional from a business family, an actress turned politician and an editor of a glossy. 3 very separate worlds but one common thread binding them. That of the inequity bestowed on them by the society we live in merely because they were born girls. An unequity that effects them both at work and in their personal lives.
The more focused discussion one has around our immediate surroundings, the more evident it gets that gender disparity is not somebody else’s problem in some far flung area. It is real and very close within our homes. More and more women need to break their numbing silence to share their stories to be able to address these issues for a long term change that we seek.

Feminism is not a catch phrase for angry women to put men down. It is the root-cause that takes expression at their worst as heinous crimes against women. Some, which women themselves may be participant to, leveraging the position of power that is endorsed in supporting such patriarchal mindsets. Time to point the fingers backwards.

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#WECHATUP with Raksha Bharadia

admin — Tue, 31 May 2016 07:59:37 +0000

The last Friday of May witnessed the start of a series #WECHATUP. A twitter chat with field experts on gender & mindset. First in the series the theme was relationship. Raksha Bharadia, author of 3 books, editor of Chicken soup series in India and now founder of a relationship website Bonobology responded to questions & comments pertaining to women & relationship.

Double standards belief in #feminism n not in #LGBT rights! #WECHATUP https://t.co/nFYNL0fQgb

— Woman Endangered (@WE_Endangered) May 27, 2016

A wide range of questions came from across the globe ranging from disparity of income in couples to gender & age. Interests were piqued on status of feminism & LGBT rights as well. Shared here is a summary of questions and their responses.

Question: Is the age of each gender an important factor in a heterosexual relationship? Why is the emphasis on having a young bride.

Answer: We are moving towards equality in couple relationships. Age in gender should matter less and less, not more.Wanting a younger bride is still living in the era where men were the providers. It should change , In fact it is changing.

Question : Is #feminism a fashion or reality today? Why is taken lightly or made a joke?

Answer : By it being a fashion, it has become a reality. However, its is still misunderstood to be hatred against men. Feminism at its core believes everyone should be treated equally. And any one who believes in gender equality is a feminist.

Question: What happens when a wife earns more than her husband. Can a couple live happily with this disparity?

@prernakumar21 @WE_Endangered The Indian patriarchal male needs to really work hard as does his mother, if the marriage has to work.

— Raksha Bharadia (@raksha_b) May 27, 2016

Answer: The Indian patriarchal male needs to really work as hard as does his mother, if the marriage has to work. According to a marriage therapist family interference is the biggest issue of urban couples.

Question: Is online activism as effective as other forms of activism?

Answer: Online activism is not limited by geography and hence has unlimited potential! We can change the world!

Question: Comment on feminist who don’t believe in LGBT rights?

@WE_Endangered @thewisebonobo Feminism at its core believes everyone should be treated equally.

— Raksha Bharadia (@raksha_b) May 27, 2016

Answer: People who don’t believe in LGBT rights are not feminists! This would amount to having double standards.

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