To be a woman, not a victim!
I have realized for a woman like me, life began at 50. It took until then for me to understand what empowerment means in the Indian context. I was brought up to believe that women should be quiet, well-behaved, decent (my mother’s favorite word) and never rebel against social norms. I really never knew what [...]
Freedom lost at the hand of sexual harassment
Freedom: The dictionary defines it as ‘the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint; exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc.; the power to determine action without restraint; political or national independence; personal liberty, as opposed to bondage or slavery’. My first memory of being harassed on [...]
Global News Roundup 12.12.11
Here’s a weekly digest of important news stories from around the world: ‘Mother Robin’ Wins CNN Hero of the Year 12.12.11, CNN Missrepresentation: Are You a Part of it? 12.6.11, Huffington Post 179 journalists jailed worldwide 12.1.11, Committee to Protect Journalists Social Media Voices for Freedom and Justice 12.8.11, UN Women Where Are India’s Working [...]
Why should I fear when they don’t?
A few days ago, I saw a picture on Facebook that read: ‘Society teaches don’t get raped rather than don’t rape’. This message immediately struck me as being absolutely true, at least in India, where every time a young girl leaves home, she is reminded by her mother of this very concern. Recently, I wanted [...]
Inequality On The Big Screen: No Progress In 65 Years
A new study was released this week that offers fresh numbers on just how dismal the representation of women in mainstream media can be. To real the full report, head here but we’ve included some highlights in our graphic below: The Good Men Project also ran a great piece responding to the report’s conclusions. Here’s an [...]
Entertaining Ourselves to Sexist Death
By Soraya Chemaly According to the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism study released today, a survey of the top 100 grossing movies of 2009 reveals that 67.8% of all speaking characters (in excess of 5000) were male. In addition, female characters, usually isolated by virtue of there just being one speaking role, were consistently depicted [...]
Name It, Change It, Flip It, Quip It
By Nell Scovell and Gloria Steinem Women hold only 3% of clout positions in the mainstream media. ~ Annenberg Public Policy Center, “The Glass Ceiling Persists” Here are 15 ways the media would be different if it were run by 97% women and only 3% men: 60 Minutes would be 30 Minutes because, frankly, who has the time? The [...]
Veena Malik stands up against unfair scrutiny
Watch Pakistani actress Veena Malik stand up for herself and other women who are victims of cruel and repressive standards in the media: Here’s an interview shortly after that television segment aired where she explains the experience with more depth: The video got a lot of traction with the media who found her courage to [...]
No Country for Women – That’s Bollywood!
By Renu Pokharna Much like the Indian government with its five-year plans, I have a five-year cycle, too, when it comes to Indian cinema: Every five years, something happens that reinvigorates my eternal frustration with Bollywood. Five years ago it was over too many rip-offs: “Black” from “The Miracle Worker,” “Koi Mil Gaya” from “E.T: [...]
Global News Roundup 11.7.11
Here’s a weekly digest of important news stories from around the world: The Best (And Worst) Countries For Women 11.2.11, Huffington Post India Journal: Why Does India Hate Women? 11.6.11. The Wall Street Journal The Birth Control Solution 11.2.11, International Herald Tribune Women Own 1% of the World’s Property — Occupy That 11.4.11, Huffington Post #NoShaveNovember Raises Hairy Gender Questions 11.2.11, Ms. blog
