By Anonymous: 

Note: Originally published on Empathize This and republished here with their permission.

I was 19, and just an average student doing an average degree, working part-time and living the lifestyle many people my age did.

Depression altered everything.

It all seems like a horrible dream now but there are still things I remember distinctly. [envoke_twitter_link]I remember feeling some sort of terrible sadness that wanted nothing, but took everything[/envoke_twitter_link], and nothing would quell it. I became very isolated and alone, and my attempts to seek out chances to socialize only made it worse.

I remember realizing it wasn’t just a temporary "down in the dumps" feeling when I started waking up several times a night. I’d wake, and feel normal for about a second or two before "it" – the heaviness, the nothingness, the sadness – all came flooding back, like a wave. In the pitch dark this was terrifying.

I finally went to a walk-in medical center, purely out of desperation. I had hit a point where I just wanted a definitive answer about how I was feeling and, moreover, I relished an opportunity to distract myself by something I "had to" do, even if I felt incredibly anxious and uncomfortable doing it. Going and sitting in a walk-in centre with an actual purpose and end goal was far better than sitting in my room agonisingly waiting for the day to end. The doctor asked me to describe how I was feeling and I broke down in the middle of the office. The doctor herself was understanding and patient, but I could tell there was little she could do directly. She asked me lots of questions and many of them seemed to hit home. She asked me things like if I thought about taking my own life. I struggled to answer, as I couldn’t truthfully say no.

She told me I was depressed, and prescribed me antidepressants to help. I think having a diagnosis of a real mental health disorder was both good and bad. It made me feel like maybe it wasn’t my fault and was something I couldn’t control. But at the same time I didn’t want to tell people – not because I thought they wouldn’t be understanding, but because I felt like I would be undermining my legitimacy as a rational human being. Maybe if people knew I had depression, they would see me as irrational, a burden, or just different. Kind of like the very old relative that people still love but don’t stay around for too long.

After the doctor’s appointment, when I went to pick up the antidepressants, I noticed the awkward smile I received from the girl at the pharmacy. That was too much – I couldn’t bring myself to take the plunge into the official realm of "depression". I didn’t want to be labelled. I didn’t want anyone to look at me like that again; I wasn’t used to pity and I couldn’t bear the thought at being kept at arms length by everyone.

Needless to say, the stigma of mental illness was a powerful spectre in my mind.

About two weeks later, I told my parents, and at first they were really supportive. But they were only so accommodating for so long. I’ll never forget the day my dad told me that I wasn’t poor, wasn’t unemployed and wasn’t being physically abused so "what [did I have] to be depressed about?" (Word for word, he actually used that old chestnut).

I wish depression was as simple as that. I wish that employment and safety automatically added up to a "cure". But mental illness doesn’t work like that. It takes indiscriminately and without reason.

My father’s reaction paired with the stigma of the "depression" label told me everything I needed to know about how the world feels about mental illness. You’re either a sub-human object of pity, or, in short, a whiner.

In many ways I am lucky: I came out of my depression without drugs (although for those who find them helpful, there is nothing wrong with them), and in fact gained a newfound sense of how complex and important every person in this world is. However, because of that I have a hard time seeing all the hurt in the world and not speaking my mind. I want to help; [envoke_twitter_link]I want every person to be treated as just that – a person[/envoke_twitter_link].

I know there is stigma, and misunderstanding about depression everywhere. And I want everyone to know this: there is nothing wrong with you. And no one – no one! – has any right to say otherwise.

The post The Stigma Of Mental Illness: “What Do You Have To Be Depressed About?” Asked My Father… appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Asmita Sarkar:

Avinash will not grow older. Neither will the nine other people who have died of dengue already. What is most tragic about Avinash’s story is that his parents committed suicide after he passed away. “Babita’s left hand and Laxmichandra’s right hand were tied together with a dupatta. Babita was wearing her nightdress, just as she was when we last saw her about an hour before,” said Kavita Sejwal, their landlord.

[caption id="attachment_54028" align="aligncenter" width="958"] Image source: Free stock photos[/caption]

2015’s dengue outbreak has been termed as the largest in the last five years. 1800 cases have already been registered. The season that should have been a welcome respite has turned into a source of dread and disease all over India.

The Delhi Govt. has ordered 1000 extra beds in state run facilities and cancelled holidays of health personnel, but there’s a limit to what they can do. Is it not better to make efforts from our end and prevent, instead of cure?

Here’s a list of things we can do to prevent dengue:

1. The dengue causing female Aedes aegypti mosquito breeds in dark places, closets and corners in domestic spaces. Cleaning out the junk and spraying with mosquito repellents regularly, helps in keeping the indoors mosquito-free.

2. Temephos (brand name Abate) is a pesticide that can be sprayed on stagnating water, that can’t be cleaned out, like water in coolers. Things that one can do, without waiting for someone from the municipal corporation to turn up, is to spray the water with Temephos or petrol to prevent larvae formation.

3. It can’t be emphasised enough that stagnating water in public spaces like puddles, garbage dumps, requires to be drained and sprayed with pesticides. While regular insecticide sprays are done by municipal corporations, we, as residents of the area, can take up the charge of making the community spaces healthier. It is, after all, our children who play in parks and grounds.

4. The dengue mosquito is active throughout the day, especially two hours, after sunrise and before sunset, and there is no vaccine for prevention of dengue. What one can personally do is wear clothes that covers as much skin as possible like full sleeved clothes and full pants, or any other clothing that covers most of our skin.

5. There are many products in the market like Odomos, which have DEET or Picaridin in them. These cream based products can be applied on the exposed portions of the body, as it confounds the mosquito’s senses and makes a person invisible to them. However, the creams should not be applied on the hands of young children and infants.

6. Covering overhead tanks, water storage facilities, putting meshes on air/water pipes are some infrastructural changes that retards the breeding process of the mosquitoes. The dengue mosquito can fly within 200 meters of its breeding site so it becomes imperative to cover up all open water storage facilities.

7. In domestic spaces, using mosquito coils, electric vapour mats can kill the mosquitoes and keep us safe. And these products are needed more in the day time than night, unlike popular belief.

8. In India, mosquito nets are not an uncommon site. It is also possible to spray limited amounts of Permethrin, an insecticide, on mosquito nets that are hung over the beds to keep the insects away.

9. While dengue doesn’t spread from person to person, an infected person should be kept away from spaces where they can be bit again because the infected mosquito can spread the disease further by biting a healthy person.

10. Finally, if you feel a fever coming on, get yourself tested. Early detection is the key to quick recovery. While dengue fever is not fatal, sometimes the patient develops Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever or Dengue Shock Syndrome, which can become a serious health risk.

Preventing dengue can’t be the Government’s responsibility alone. Following instructions issued by the Government about maintaining clean surroundings is the role of the community and the individual too. Don’t let anymore Amans and Avinashs die of a disease that is easily preventable.

The post 10 Things You Could Do To Prevent Dengue From Spreading Like Wildfire appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Shweta Taneja: 

Early morning as the auto drags along, crisscrossing and honking irritably at the traffic, I notice the pavements that travel along with me. Two cleaners from Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP), on either side of a pavement near Ulsoor (I see one after the other), are half-heartedly sweeping with a broom on the debris, leaving the shit behind. It’s all colours of shit - black, brown, muddy, dried and still squishy and wet. The cleaners sweep all around it, contentiously pick up the debris and the leaves and the dust that had fallen the day before, leaving behind the droppings of stray dogs and cows that have passed the night before. Conveniently making it someone else’s problem.

[caption id="attachment_54065" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Image source: Flickr[/caption]

The middle class in me screams. "Do a good job," I want to say in the righteous voice. "These are public roads. It’s your job to clean them. Why are you leaving all the shit behind? Clean properly!"

"Except," says another voice in me, the one that usually makes me squirm, "don’t you do the same thing? It’s your shit finally, isn’t it?"

[caption id="attachment_54067" align="alignleft" width="190"] Found late night in Humming Tree, an upscale live music space in Bangalore.[/caption]

For [envoke_twitter_link]doesn’t our garbage, the one we create, the one we discard, become someone else’s problem at some point?[/envoke_twitter_link] The moment we dump a coffee cup righteously into a trash can. The moment our maid takes out the black plastic bag from our home, dumping it near a tree or an empty plot. The moment we place a beer bottle on the stage floor where an indie band is performing. The moment we finish a dosa in front of someone else’s shutter and leave the plate behind. The exact moment when a child finishes off a bag of chips and casually drops it in front of the waterfall his parents have taken him to. Coffee cups, tea mugs, underwear, plastic bottles, chewing gum packets, juice cans, smashed beer bottles, all half hidden, glittering under dried leaves. Usually, we can even find out what all is available at a picnic spot, or a kiosk around the corner of the road, just by looking at the garbage scattered in the area.

Leaving A Trail Of Debris Wherever We Travel

On roads, on pavements, thrown from the windows of cars, from autos, delicately dropped onto the grass in the park, left behind after a picnic or a party with friends. For we know, that like our parents did when we were kids, someone is going to pick up this litter. A cleaner in a public space, a hired cleaner in a private space. The invisible person who you don’t see, the one who is of a lower social strata. The one who cleans, and ironically the one who is considered unclean.

As grown-ups, we feel the state is responsible for the garbage we create, which is why I can righteously think of chiding the two sweepers who are cleaning up the pavement. But what if they also, like me, don’t want to own up the garbage someone else, or they themselves, is creating? Like us, they also don’t want to look at it twice, ignore it, righteously complain about it aloud, and then move on?

[envoke_twitter_link]Maybe before I chide anyone, I need to become responsible for the shit I create.[/envoke_twitter_link] I need to know where it travels, once it leaves my home. I need to see the piles of garbage that travel in a truck, to a village in the outskirts and how that village has turned into a smelly cham

The post “This Shit Is Someone Else’s Problem”: Is That What You Think About Swachh Bharat? appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Ram Subramanian:

Dear Maharashtra government,

There is a saying that you must be aware of: why fix something that's not broken?

Mumbaikars are proud of the transport system of this city, if local trains and buses are the city's arteries then autos and cabs are its safety nets.

[caption id="attachment_54104" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Image source: Tushar Dayal/Flickr[/caption]

This is the only city in India that allows women a certain amount of fearlessness. They don't worry about safety (to some extent) before taking a rickshaw in the middle of the night.

Do you know why? Professionalism, meritocracy and importantly, zero sense of entitlement.. (you probably don't understand what these words mean)

By this thoughtless, stupid rule you are going regress Mumbai to auto-rickshaw-hell as painful and rowdy as the ones in other cities.

But it's not your fault... It's we who voted idiots like you into power that need to be blamed. It's our fault that we voted in parties like you that indulge in dividing a peaceful city into blocks (religion/caste/language) so you can play political Jenga whenever the need strikes.

Logically speaking, [envoke_twitter_link]since when did knowing Marathi become a pre-requisite for riding auto-rickshaws?[/envoke_twitter_link]

I have nothing against Maharashtrians, I have nothing against Marathi as a language... some of my closest friends have Marathi mother-tongues but that doesn't make them love Mumbai more than me or less than me. It means nothing.

So, please stop dicking around and playing religion/caste/language-based politics...

If you really want to do something good for the state then fix the farmer suicide issue. (learn from that actor who is actually doing some wonderful work in that field, something that you should be doing in the first place.)

If you really want to do something good for the language then promote Marathi film industry. (Knowing you, you will probably celebrate the Marathi equivalent of Gajendra Chauhan)

If you really want to do something good for the city then sack that incompetent lot called BMC...

Cheers!
have a nice day.

P.S- I hope you are aware that this 'Marathi-only' rule will not have two legs to stand on, in any court of law. Think about it...

You can tweet your comments to the author at @TweetOfRam. To read more of his opinion, head here.

The post Open Letter To Maha. Govt: ‘When Did Knowing Marathi Become Essential For Driving Autos?’ appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Sarthak Ahuja:

There is something that I’ve wanted to write about for the past two years, but haven’t found the courage to. I have tried putting my thoughts to words on a number of occasions, but given up mid-way, fearing the backlash they may get; or the disbelief that any story of a man’s vulnerability may invite.

As an urban Indian male, I think I am more scared of the women around me than they are of the men that surround them.

[caption id="attachment_52994" align="aligncenter" width="752"] Image source: pexels.com[/caption]

The Delhi Commission for Women has officially stated that 53% of all cases for domestic violence filed between April, 2013 and July, 2014 were false. The Delhi Commission for Women, mind you! There is no such official 'Commission for Men' in the country because who thought men could be victims too. Being a Chartered Accountant by practice, I have clients coming to our firm to obtain certificates of income and net worth regularly. While these certificates were taken with the objective to contest in business bids till a few years ago, over 80% of such certificates issued now pertain to cases of domestic violence and dowry demands being contested in the courts of law. We have observed families, who my parents have personally known for over 30 years, break down before us. We have attended their weddings, been part of their celebrations and closely known their family dynamics as confidantes and well wishers for years. It pains us to see how such cases permeate beyond the boundaries of religion, social status and financial strength. While I feel proud that the people of India are now becoming brave enough to stand up for any kind of mistreatment or violence against women, [envoke_twitter_link]I feel scared to know that a woman holds the power to falsely accuse me of a crime[/envoke_twitter_link] that I may have not committed. I am terrified of the idea that while on the one hand my family could, some day, be making efforts to make a new member of the household feel welcomed and loved, the new lady of the house could be devising ways to cry wolf and threaten her in-laws with false accusations of domestic violence and dowry demands unless they give into her demands of share in movable and immovable property.

The thought may seem silly to most, or to those more medically inclined, as a symptom of paranoia or mental imbalance. I mean, doesn’t this fear seem unjustified? However, would you say that it is silly when a woman confesses of her everyday fear of being raped, especially at a place like Delhi? You wouldn’t, because you know that rape is a big problem in Delhi. We know that women fear going out alone at night. We know that rape happens, and it gets talked and written about. The crime has found a voice in the past few years when society has gradually progressed on the path away from victim shaming.

As we see India progress in support of the survivor, strengthening laws for protection of women in the country, we probably don’t see the regression that is silently gnawing us under the covers. Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code provides protection to women from domestic violence. It pertains to a non-bailable, non-compoundable offence, whereby the accused and his family members are put behind bars even before they are proven guilty, only on the basis of a complaint. The law has been misused terribly in the past few years, taking the form of a weapon than a shield. Out of the over 2.3 million people accused under Section 498A of the IPC since 1998, only about 0.26 million have been convicted. While those on one side may perceive it as an evidence of loss of faith in the functioning of the judiciary, which seems to have acquitted almost 85% of those accused; the other side may be yearning for a simpler look at the statistics, for sometimes, it is most objective to not over-analyze.

The reason any such information does not carry with itself the potential to give goosebumps is because a vast majority is still unaware of this practice. Where any mistreatment of a man, when admitted to, is seen as emasculation in our society, how is this any different from victim shaming? Families that have faced these problems in the past few years sit silently, trying not to worsen the consequences of a false accusation that has already marred their reputation in society. They refuse to open up and talk about it because it would show how “less of a man” the son of the family was to have been taken for a ride by a “girl”. They further know that the media promotes stories of women fighting against injustice. And who would believe their innocence anyway? While stories of revolt against traditionally unspoken issues are glorified, without checking their authenticity, the rising concerns leading to another unspoken issue are pushed under the rug.

In the case of Mr. Sushil Kumar Sharma v. Union of India, the Hon’ble Supreme Court observed, “Many instances have come to light where the complaints are not bona fide and have filed with oblique motive. In such cases acquittal of the accused does not in all cases wipe out the ignominy suffered during and prior to trial. Sometimes adverse media coverage adds to the misery. As noted, the object is to strike at the roots of dowry menace. But by misuse of the provision, a new legal terrorism can be unleashed. The provision is intended to be used a shield and not assassin’s weapon. If cry of ‘wolf’ is made too often as a prank, assistance and protection may not be available when the actual ‘wolf’ appears.”

These cases and their first hand narration traumatize my parents, who are worried about having a son that they may have to get married in a few years. The same fear, I naturally inherit.

I fear being in a relationship, where the woman may hold the power to accuse me of rape in case the companionship may not progress as she may have planned. Or more simply, I fear giving a genuine compliment to a lady lest I may be accused of being a superficial prick, who has tried to “make a move” on her. I fear cracking a joke that may be labeled as “sexist”, and not an exaggeration of gender stereotypes that could be innocently intentioned to not be taken seriously. I also fear letting my fears known because they may “seem” to be against the interests of women.
I think of myself as a man respectful of women. But I may be wrong, for what is right or wrong still seems subjective in this age of online public shaming. A respectable and well intentioned lady like Charlotte Proudman may not agree with a respectable and well intentioned man like Alexander Carter-Silk (Charlotte Proudman has alleged that Alexander Carter-Silk has harassed her on LinkedIn). I probably have no right to comment on the matter. Neither do I have the right to comment on the Rohtak brave-hearts case or the recent Jasleen Kaur - Sarvjeet Singh episode. However, I think I may have the right to speak about a fear that I strongly feel.

I may not fully understand the terms 'feminism' or 'misogyny'. I may be uneducated in these areas and may be publicly shamed for being so. But I understand 'fear, a feeling that I do not need an education to feel, and an emotion that is not the prerogative of a specific gender.

The post “Fear Is Not The Prerogative Of A Specific Gender”: A Man Expresses His Fear Of Women appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Vaagisha Das:

Deepika Padukone grabbed headlines when she affirmed that it was ‘her choice’ to do or not to do things that were traditionally expected of women in the 'empowering' Vogue ad earlier this year. Touted as the next best thing, the ad seemingly celebrated- and reinforced- women’s freedom to take whatever path they wanted to in life, and not be ashamed of it. However, this ad, adopted by people throughout the country for its revolutionary new idea of feminism, is little more than window dressing on the actual idea that feminism encapsulates. The ideas perpetuated by conventionally beautiful, thin women in the video seem to belong to a particular brand of 'pop culture' feminism, which has led to people adopting the phrase with little or no concern to what it actually means. After all, watching a 10-second video is so much more interesting than taking the time to know the subject, and who wouldn’t prefer a glamorous ad to reading long lists of references?

The very same thing has essentially led them to claim that they are not feminists as well - without understanding the true nature of the word. Due to various factors, including but not limited to the hypocrisy of the media, people have now developed pre-conceived notions of the word, and ever since, words like 'feminazi' and 'man hater' has become synonymous with feminism - a Tinder user added the word 'feminist' to her profile, and the ensuing responses prove people’s ignorance- people are becoming wary of identifying themselves as such. Many call themselves humanists instead –like Madonna, claiming that rather than stand for one section of the community, they’d want the entire society to progress - little understanding that the word 'feminist' does incorporate all the sections of society, not just women: if you want to achieve gender equality, starting with the oppressed section seems to be the best course of action, and no one has yet claimed that men need female protection.

[envoke_twitter_link]One needs to distinguish between popular feminism and academic feminism[/envoke_twitter_link], and to address the issue of why people seem more inclined to believe things based on the former rather than the latter. In an interview with some contemporary feminist scholars in India, I came across three such people who explain why feminism is necessary, and why people are so cautious when using the term.

Why Is Talking About Feminism Still Necessary?

In 1895, the Oxford dictionary defined feminism as "advocacy of the rights of women (based on the theory of equality of the sexes)." In the year 2015, much of the definition still applies, with its idea of rights and equality of women remaining the same, yet the context has somewhat changed. The definition has acquired certain negative connotations- either due to the media or the infamous MRAs- Men’s Rights Activists, or even by those women themselves who claim that they would rather be 'humanists' instead, and have no more use for feminism - and the academic definition of the word is now in danger of being buried under stacks of bad press.

Sandra Bartky, a gender studies professor at University of Illinois, says that, "Although most feminists would probably agree that there is some sense of 'rights' on which achieving equal rights for women is a necessary condition for feminism to succeed, most would also argue that this would not be sufficient. This is because women's oppression under male domination rarely if ever consists solely in depriving women of political and legal 'rights', but also extends into the structure of our society and the content of our culture, and permeates our consciousness."

Post-feminism, a movement popular in the west, seeks to impress upon women that feminism is unnecessary in a society where women are now free to do as they wish - since there are legally no barriers to education, jobs, and financial independence, women are now free make their own choices. But if we look closely, the notion of the glass ceiling, the fact that less than five percent of women are top company CEOs, or looking closer home, campaigns based on the fact that rural toilets are necessary to 'keep women inside and safe' tell us otherwise.

Arpita Ghosh, an Assistant Professor of English who is currently teaching at Sidhu Kanhu University, West Bengal, her area of interest being Gender and Sexuality studies, states that, "although [politically, economically and legally] some goals that the feminist movements aspired to have been achieved, newer, more complex intersections have arrived. The postcolonial experience, the black woman’s experiences, the working class woman’s lived realities, the lesbian, bisexual, transgender women’s rights, the Dalit woman….so now what we have is a disavowal of a monolithic, Eurocentric, white, heterosexual, predominantly middle and upper class feminism." She explains her understanding of the term feminist as "someone who would be willing to understand the multiple structures of patriarchal oppression and would be open to the idea that historically feminists to have colluded in these systems of oppression by erasing black or lesbian or working class or Dalit subjectivities. Being feminist is also recognition of the ways patriarchy oppresses males through compulsory masculinity."

How Popular Feminism Is Making An Increasing Number Of People Shy Away From The Word 'Feminist'

Although the term "feminism" in English is rooted in the mobilization for woman suffrage in Europe and the US during the late 19th and early 20th century, efforts to obtain justice for women did not begin or end with this period of activism. It has now become common to refer to the feminist movement in the US as occurring in "waves". The struggle to achieve basic political rights during the period from the mid-19th century counts as "First Wave" feminism. Feminism waned between the two world wars, to be "revived" in the late 1960's and early 1970's as "Second Wave" feminism. In this second wave, feminists pushed beyond the early quest for political rights to fight for greater equality across the board, e.g., in education, the workplace, and at home. More recent transformations of feminism have resulted in a "Third Wave"- which has, at times, been criticized for its lack of intersectionality.

Academic feminism is two pronged- it talks about normative as well as descriptive views of women. Normative views would include looking at how women ought to be viewed in the framework of justice and legal rights, while descriptive view talks about the realities of women’s situation.

However, talking about such issues such as gendered classism, rape, and gendered violence often translates to 'constant complaining by women' in a society which people still believe is equal. Such movements make for decidedly unpalatable and overall non attractive press stories, and when the notions of power and patriarchy are challenged by some, it makes them unpopular with those who believe in maintaining the status quo. An example would be the campaign started by the MRAs- "don’t be that girl", or their recent spate of tweets calling themselves 'meninsts' - both parodies of women’s rights movements. An illustration of the fact that Professor Niladri R. Chatterjee, Associate Professor at University of Kalyani, points out: "patriarchy has run down feminism by putting out the notion that it is a bunch of humourless, always angry, men-deprived therefore men-hating women. Not very attractive. Not sexy."

Lack of information, coupled with factors such as bad press and media propagated notoriety are just some of the many factors that contribute to women not identifying as or opposing feminism, according to Shailaditya Sen, Assistant Professor of English at Montclair State University. "Most people are not that informed about what feminism actually means (often thinking it means elevating women over men or simply man-hate), its history, how it has changed/developed over time, etc. So when they say they are not feminists, they mean they are not whatever vague and often inaccurate idea about feminism they have." This would be Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga, proclaiming her love for men 'instead'. Since there are a number of academic political approaches to feminism - and various philosophies, it is difficult to explore the full depth of these ideas, and just accept what the media 'insta-feeds' us.

Academic feminism, is to "disorder established patterns and to denaturalise what has come to be presented as eternal and unchanging," says Nivedita Menon, in her book 'Seeing Like A Feminist'. But this poses a threat to the organised social pattern, as media becomes only- and suddenly- preoccupied with feminism when it is untroublesome, and comes in packaging acceptable to the public’s tastes. This 'upsetting' form of feminism is subtly put down- once Alex of Modern Family starts questioning why the girls have to play nurses on Halloween, she is quickly made the butt of a joke, making her the uptight one who can’t 'chill' on a holiday. "Thanks to pop culture representations of feminism as necessarily militant and vocal (read loud), the image one conjures up when one tells someone they are feminists is one that is confrontational, if not 'dangerous'." (Arpita Ghosh)

But Alex is still a white character. A professor of law at Columbia, Kimberle Crenshaw states that "Women as a group experience many different forms of injustice, and the sexism they encounter interacts in complex ways with other systems of oppression. In contemporary terms, this is known as the problem of intersectionality." Academic feminism seeks to incorporate the struggles of race, class, etc. yet this blatant lack of intersectionality in media’s version of feminism - in which only the thinnest and blondest vie for attention- is another major factor that drives people to distance themselves from a movement that ill fulfils their needs. Add to this the 'traditional' notion that women should be relegated to the kitchen- have you heard all the 'go make me a sandwich' jokes yet?- and the gendered notion that pink is for pretty is for girls which most ads, and hence the notion of consumerism and popular culture focuses on, and it is difficult to break out of the grips of capitalist society and start advocating for change, or even thinking about it.

Sign Of A Positive Effect?

However, despite such claims, there are signs that advertisements are consciously making an effort to advocate gender equality, rather than the concept of a man doing a 'woman’s job' or vice versa. Ariel, a popular brand of detergent, launched its 'Share the Load' campaign, which raised the question of the task of laundry being equally divided. Perhaps once the notion of gender equality enters the consciousness of society, the concept of feminism won’t be far behind.

Addressing the issue of the backlash against the feminist movement, Shailaditya points out that where there is a successful social movement, there is an inevitable backlash against its gains. He optimistically states that the formation of MRA groups and women (incorrectly) saying that they don’t need feminism is a positive sign, saying that while he thinks feminism is vital, "I’m not worried at how much it is criticized. I think that’s a sign that it is working, is evolving, and is going to keep improving and having more and more of a positive effect on the world."

The post The Problem With Popular Feminism That’s Making Many People Shy Away From The Word appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Asmita Sarkar:

According to a World Bank report, India is among the top five emerging economies. It is also among the [envoke_twitter_link]top five dangerous countries for women[/envoke_twitter_link]. According to a Thomson Reuters Foundation report, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, and Congo feature on this list. The six critical issues looked at were health, discrimination, sexual violence, non-sexual violence, cultural and trafficking.

The data reveals a dismal state of affairs in the five countries, all of which belong to South Asia or Africa, and are emerging or underdeveloped economies. While 95% girls between the age of 4 and 11 suffer from genital mutilation in Somalia, 50 million women have gone missing due to infanticide and foeticide in India; 87% of Afghan women are still illiterate. In Pakistan, 90% women are victims of domestic abuse; In Congo, 1152 women are the victims of sexual violence every day!

Via Hyperakt.

The post INFOGRAPHIC: The 5 Most Dangerous Countries For Women – Are You Living In One Of Them? appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Sayantan Ghosh:

On September 12, I was at a protest organized by the Association of the Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) held against the recent decision of the Supreme Court in the Uphaar Cinema fire tragedy case. 18 years ago, in June, while an afternoon show was playing inside the Uphaar cinema behind which I live now, the parking lot caught fire which spread throughout the building rapidly. 59 people lost their lives that day, most due to suffocation rather than burn injuries, and several more were left bruised, both physically and emotionally, and remain to be even today. For those of us who were very young when it happened and rely only on archived information, an article in Caravan summed up the causes of the 'mishap' as "a faulty power transformer, sparks in an overfilled garage, cars on fire, thick smoke rising into the theatre, pandemonium, cut power, blocked balcony exits."

Once standing tall and buzzing with spectators, dressed in light bulbs and garish posters every other Friday, now the cinema lay like a ruin. On the 19 August 2015, The Supreme Court of India finally ruled that the owners of the cinema, Sushil and Gopal Ansal, were responsible for these deaths and should serve the maximum sentence of two years rigorous imprisonment for their crime. However, after spending around five and four months in jail respectively, they were able to walk free by paying a penalty of Rs 60 crore as a fine imposed by the SC.

Neelam Krishnamoorthy—a resident of South Delhi who lost both her children in the accident—has pioneered this movement for the past 18 years and has been fighting for what she believes will be justice for the lives lost that day. Several distinguished and well-known faces associated with politics and art, like Brinda Karat, Kavita Krishnan, Shubha Mudgal, were seen standing by Krishnamoorthy’s on Saturday both on stage and off, speaking their minds openly.

To see so many people at the gathering, many of who didn’t necessarily suffer a personal loss after the incident, was heartening. Numerous faces volunteering for the act, some who had not even been born in 1997. Yet I was compelled to ask myself the question whether it would have received more attention if the nature of the crime was less complicated. Public memory and its temporary nature has been the subject of many discussions in the past. Any act of injustice prompts immediate resistance from most of us who can think rationally, and yet it doesn’t take too long for the same to get replaced by something else. The media frenzy, the constant debates, tweets and tickers dominating our screens, there is no real escape from this behavior either. The more macabre the case, the longer we like to stay with its 'updates'. And like most of us, I am both a participant and victim of this pattern.

But even this madness has a certain method. Whether it’s a heinous act of cross-border terrorism or a communal crime, there is an instantaneous social media uproar which often (not always!) helps in bringing attention towards the subject, if not anything more. When an atheist blogger is killed in another country, we protest. When a beloved renowned writer is shot dead inside his own house, we protest. There is undivided opposition from the free speaking public on the internet when a tiffin carrier bomb kills many, or even when a mother strangles her own daughter. As long as our hands are carrying a weapon, or become a weapon themselves, there’s a collective cry of defiance. But the day the Uphaar judgment came out, there were merely a handful in my small circle of acquaintances, who were even aware of it. Perhaps I wouldn’t have been either if I had not been living so close to where it all transpired.

No one walked in with a gun on 13 June 1997 and showered bullets on the victims, no chants by religious fanatics were heard who locked them inside and set them on fire. This was a crime of pure greed and negligence. The additional seats installed for revenue blocked the exit points, the property was entangled in licensing violations, the electricity supply had tripped and many were trapped inside in complete darkness with no one from the management or staff to offer help. When we enter a public space outside our homes, whether a cinema, restaurant or parking lot, we display a certain amount of trust in those who are responsible for the safety of those places. So when due to dereliction of their duty and show of absolute thoughtlessness later (delaying the judicial process, equating the lives of actual people with compensatory 'blood money', etc.), so many lives are lost, [envoke_twitter_link]why is the voice of common people like us not as fierce?[/envoke_twitter_link]

On Saturday, Neelam Krishnamoorthy relayed how the defence lawyers used to defer the hearings by asking for another date citing various reasons, sometimes as silly as cricket matches and marriage functions, much like the famous Sunny Deol scene 'tarikh pe tarikh'. Many others referred the Ansal brothers as 'Ansal bhaiyo' which was strange to hear, as if they were also one of us. And perhaps they are, because I don’t suspect that their intention ever was to harm anyone. And yet when they faultered they failed to stand accountable for their guilt. They even escaped the wrath of the opinionated social media, unlike Babu Bajrangi or David Headley, perhaps only because they were not 'present' at the scene of the crime. After the verdict, Ms. Krishnamoorthy said that she has "lost faith in the judiciary", my decision to write this essay is only because I have not. Like Sunny Deol in Border, the last film which many of those stuck inside Uphaar on that fateful day will have ever seen, I hope our courts and its many custodians take note of the burning anguish still pertinent inside so many hearts and eventually save the day.

The post Why Did The Uphaar Tragedy Verdict Not Get More Media Attention? appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Saima Noreen:

In the years since the world started going digital, one of the big changes has been that we don’t need to remember very much. Why risk forgetting a partner’s birthday or a dinner date with a close friend when you can commit the details to your computer, laptop, smartphone or tablet and get a reminder at the appropriate time?

Paul McCartney gave a useful insight into this in an interview over the summer. He claimed that back in the 1960s The Beatles may have written dozens of songs that were never released because he and John Lennon would forget the songs the following morning. "We would write a song and just have to remember it. And there was always the risk that we’d just forget it. If the next morning you couldn’t remember it – it was gone."

How different to the way he records now then, when he can “form the thing, have it all finished, remember it all, go in pretty quickly and record it”.

With technology now well ingratiated into our everyday life, researchers have been investigating the lasting impact that it is having on the way that we learn and remember information. Some research has suggested that [envoke_twitter_link]our reliance on technology and the internet is leading to 'digital amnesia'[/envoke_twitter_link], where individuals are no longer able to retain information as a result of storing information on a digital device.

In one study, for example, 1000 consumers aged 16 and over were asked about their use of technology. It found that 91% of them depended on the internet and digital devices as a tool for remembering. In another survey of 6000 people, the same study found that 71% of people could not remember their children’s phone numbers and 57% could not remember their work phone number. This suggests that relying on digital devices to remember information is impairing our own memory systems.

The Upgrade

But before we mourn this apparent loss of memory, more recent studies suggest that we may be adapting. One such study from 2011 conducted a series of experiments looking at how our memories rely on computers. In one of them, participants were asked to type a series of statements, such as 'an ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain'.

Half of them were told that their documents would be saved, and half were told that they would not. Everyone was then tested to see if they could remember what they had typed. Those who had been told their work would be saved were significantly poorer at remembering the information.

In another experiment, participants were asked to type a series of statements that would be saved in specific folders. They were then asked to recall the statements and the folders in which the files were located. Overall, they were better at recalling the file locations than the statements. The conclusion from the two experiments? Technology has changed the way we organise information so that we only remember details which are no longer available, and prioritise the location of information over the content itself.

Group Mind

This idea that individuals prioritise where information is located has led some researchers to propose that digital devices and the internet have become a form of transactive memory. This idea, which dates back to the 1980s, refers to a group memory that is superior to that of any individual.

More recent research has extended this line of work and found that saving information on a computer not only changes how our brains interact with it, but also makes it easier to learn new information. In a study published last year, the participants were presented with two files that each contained a list of words. They were asked to memorise both lists. Half of the participants were asked to save the first file before moving on to the next list, while the others had to close it without saving.

The experiment revealed that the participants recalled significantly more information from the second file if they had saved the previous file. This suggests that by saving or 'offloading' information on to a computer, we are freeing up cognitive resources that enable us to memorise and recall new information instead.

In sum, anyone worrying that technology is wrecking one of our most important abilities should take some reassurance from these findings. It doesn’t necessarily mean that there is no cause for concern: for instance McCartney said in the same interview that the songs in the 1960s that did make it to the recording studio were the most memorable ones. So it is possible that the lack of technology made The Beatles better songwriters.

But it may be that just as oral storytelling was usurped by the written word, having digital devices to outsource our memories means that it is no longer necessary for us to try to remember everything. And if we can now remember more with a little help from our technology friends, that is arguably a great step forward. Rather than worrying about what we have lost, perhaps we need to focus on what we have gained.

Saima Noreen is a lecturer in Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London

This article was originally published here on The Conversation in the Science + Technology section.

The post The Internet Is Eating Your Memory, But Something Better Is Taking Its Place appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Christopher Dee: 

My friend posed a tough question: what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of India? In my ten weeks here, I’ve come to realize just how vast and diverse India is. The land flanked by the Himalayas and the Indus, like two sentinels defending a great fortress, is home to such variety in life, in languages, in faces, and in ways of living. I answered as best I could: India elicits heat.

Heat: because the Sun beats down from all angles and seeps its way into your skin. The light licks you in the backseat of an auto. It bathes you during midday walks. It caresses and then singes the flesh each moment the clouds let it. As a Filipino I thought I knew what hot was. Enter the Indian sun, that inescapable reminder of sensation on every inch of your body. That aureolin sheen that misses nothing.

Heat because the Sun illuminates what is already laid bare: from vendors’ wares to puchkas to smiles and frowns, the Sun with its heat gives colour. The heat calls attention to the rakhis on men’s arms, reminders of sisterly love. The heat reflects off of sadhus’ orange cloaks, glowing like echoes of the Transfiguration. The hot colours of saris and skin tones and those uninhibitedly decorated trucks with "PLEASE HONK" signs louder than any car horn all meld together in my conception of India in the sun. The colour means life. The luminous vibrations that make air over a hot road shimmer and distort light, serve as a subtle reminder that each piece of this place is alive.

Heat, because heat is the cause and byproduct of the churning of the masses, throngs swirling in the sweaty streets and subways. The faces that populate the crowd, coloured with every possible concentration of human pigmentation, with features and tongues that put the Tower of Babel to shame, come together in the heat, just as the sauces swimming with hot peppers ignite the tongue like an incandescent wick. Heat is more than just the illumination of the masses: it signifies and allows their mixing, breeding diversity. Besides the Catholic church where I attend Mass on Sundays, there is a Gurdwārā a few steps away. Walk farther and you are in a Hanuman Mandir. Walk further and you’re in capitalist paradise. Name a stereotype that an outsider may have for India and Indians, and this country will sweep it away with a tidal wave of diversity.

Heat because like metals in an alloy the heat takes the staunchest personalities and makes them one with those so different from their own. [envoke_twitter_link]The diversity of the single nation that is India always baffled me[/envoke_twitter_link]. How on earth can someone from the hills of Darjeeling and another from the cafes of Pondicherry hail from the same nation? How has this been the case for hundreds of years, and in a manner that, for the most part, has been peaceful? The different peoples, at least as colourful and ethnolinguistically, geopolitically, religio-culturally diverse as the nations of Western Europe or Southeast Asia, come together under one flag. Faiths and faces blend together in the fire of this melting pot. My brief time here has shown me that, again, it’s this heat that fosters inclusion. The heat that gives light and life to the colours spares none but in doing so includes all.

And yes, India suffers from the downsides of diversity. Poverty that results from socioeconomic disparities, violence waged on vague religious lines, long, aggressive stares at the foreigner or the hijra. And yet India, for good reason, calls itself one. For an outsider looking in, perhaps an outsider who takes a quick dip, India revels in this diversity. A friend once told me that yoga means "unition". I see the colours that the Sun so generously shares, in the heat of tastes and sounds, in religion and non-religion both aflame with passion, in the lives that 1.2 billion faces are testament to. Diversity. Inclusion. Heat.

About the author: Christopher volunteers at the Amrit Foundation of India and is a recent graduate in molecular biophysics and biochemistry from Yale University. He is interested in negotiating the junction between medicine and global health as a means of bringing care to those marginalized by society. As a Filipino-Canadian, Chris is interning in India to gain insight into solutions to health problems of the developing world.

The post Of Heat, ‘Puchkas’ And Peaceful Coexistence: What My 10-Week Stay In India Taught Me appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Sreya Salim: 

India’s medical education system is one of the largest in the world. The 381 medical colleges in the country produce about 45000 doctors annually. Ever since the first medical college was established in 1835 in Kolkata, the scope of health education in India has widened. From just 19 colleges and 1000 students in 1947, the sector has grown to house the largest number of medical colleges in the world. Many more are coming up in both the private and public sectors. However, little have these statistics done to better the state of public health in India. It is indeed a paradox that the country that has produced some of the best doctors and research papers in the world is home to more than 89 lakh unvaccinated children. Studies have shown that every seven minutes, a mother succumbs to death during childbirth in India. Basic health care in many villages is still a dream. Monsoon season has become synonymous to epidemics. Even preventable diseases have become nightmares in the Indian scenario. According to Indian Medical Journal’s 2013 report, our country needs about 600,000 more doctors to carry out healthcare related tasks. It was in this context that the government decided to increase the number of medical colleges in India. It may seem logical that more doctors would bring relief to an ailing health system. However, experts are of the opinion that matters are not that simple and require more serious thoughts and actions.

The government has been going on with programs to increase the number of medical colleges for a few years now. Health ministry has already planned 14 new medical colleges and has taken decisions to enhance the number of seats in six existing colleges around India. Many new private colleges have also been allowed. The government also plans to set up 200 more medical colleges over the next ten years thus increasing the number of MBBS seats by 10000. Though it has been proposed that this plan will pave the way for a better healthcare system, the concerns and questions raised by these reforms are many.

Lack Of Faculty

The lack of faculty in medical colleges is a problem that has been haunting the system for years. The disproportionate increase in the number of medical colleges has only aggravated the problem. With a large number of UG seats and very few PG seats, the issue is fast getting out of hands. Many medical colleges don’t have enough number of teachers to meet the MCI regulations. It is well known that many private colleges import doctors from various hospitals on the days of MCI inspection to pose as faculty. In government institutions, there is a large-scale transfer of doctors from one college to another. These make-do arrangements do harm to old and new medical colleges alike. Even though MCI has adopted physical measures like head counting to tackle this problem, little has these done to stop malpractices. While attempts have been made to make norms less stringent, it should be remembered that steps like these will only add on to the reduction in the quality of medical education and increased the workload of already overburdened doctors.

Makeshift Medical Colleges

Another important problem is that most of the new colleges lack an adequate infrastructure to educate students. Setting up a medical education institution is far different from establishing an arts or science college. Many new colleges just don’t have enough patients or investigation facilities, let alone a proper lecture hall and record books. Even the new AIIMS-like institutes set up in Patna and Bhubaneswar have been reported to lack even basic infrastructure. Many colleges haven’t even completed construction or land acquisition but have started classes for students. Red tape delay and corruption have made matters worse.

Skewed Distribution Of Colleges

Though India has more than 300 medical colleges, the fact that these are distributed in a skewed fashion has resulted in misdistribution of services. More than sixty percent of these institutions are located in South India, especially Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Same applies to most of the new institutions coming up too. They are mostly concentrated in profitably potent areas. This is in spite of MCI’s regulation that for a medical college to be established there should be sufficient clinical load in that area. The clustering of colleges has led to a lack of availability of clinical material and faculty in many colleges. Moreover, most of the medical colleges serve urban areas rather than rural areas, leading to further deterioration of already ailing rural health system. It is high time we opened eyes to these problems.

Problems Of Privatisation

Encouraging privatisation of medical education can have many unforeseen consequences. Increased participation of private giants will result in the commercialisation of education, increased gap between rich and poor and the formation of a cadre of money minded, robotic physicians. It is a well-known fact that many private colleges adopt illegal measures to get MCI recognition, including the import of people to pose as patients during MCI inspections. In the long run, the entire health system of the country is affected, and it is the common man who suffers. Ensuring the quality of private medical colleges and making accreditation restrictions more stringent has become the need of the hour.

Solving Issues

Creating socially committed doctors should be the aim of medical education. [envoke_twitter_link]It is high time India focused on quality rather than quantity[/envoke_twitter_link]. While opening new medical colleges may make headlines, it is important to realize that makeshift medical colleges will only worsen the condition of our already sick health sector. Many short term solutions like increasing the retirement age of medical college teachers, providing better incentives and channeling more funds have been proposed. However, it is important to seek a long-term solution. It is true that the healthcare industry needs more manpower. However, the fact that most of the young doctors who pass out prefer to work in foreign countries and cities should not be overlooked. Hence, better implementation of the present medical education programs so as to fill the gap in the rural health sector is necessary. According to Dr. P.K. Sasidharan, a leading physician and public health expert, increasing the number of medical colleges is useless unless and until a sea change occurs in our health policy. More attention should be given to decreasing the disease burden and increasing health awareness. Instead of focusing on creating more super specialists, strengthening of basic healthcare should be given more priority. The dream of basic healthcare can only be achieved through more innovative and well-planned strategies.

Just as too many cooks are said to spoil the broth, too many incompetent doctors will damage the healthcare system of the country. [envoke_twitter_link]What India needs at the moment are a better health care policy and an army of young, efficient doctors[/envoke_twitter_link] to carry it out. Politicians and officials should realize that medical colleges made overnight cannot carry out the task of molding the young generation. Unless we open our eyes to facts, India's healthcare industry will continue to suffer.

The post 381 Medical Colleges And Still 600K Doctors Short: The Sorry State Of India’s Healthcare appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Tinku Paul:

I recently came upon an article that talked about the unique custom of 'water wives' in the drought affected village of Denganmal, in Maharashtra. This village has no taps. It has two wells at the foot of a hill, the only sources of water. The journey to and fro can take hours in the sweltering heat. For this reason, the village has developed a tradition of polygamy. For Sakharam Bhagat, aged 66, and many others in the hamlet some 140 km (85 miles) from Mumbai, the answer is a contract upon which women are entitled to the designation of a 'married woman' while men get an unpaid servant to run all chores. Two of Bhagat’s wives were married solely to bring water to drink while the third takes care of the house.

[caption id="attachment_54217" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Image source: Tetyana Pryymak/Flickr[/caption]

The famous statement of Alfred Marshall about the housemaid and the housewife is pertinent here. Many tasks of the housewife have alternate market prices and hence every housewife is performing work in the economic sense of the term irrespective of the fact of direct payment. Instead, real income is generated in the household by several tasks and this could not find its way into the national income estimates due to its operational limitations. Most of the women’s work at home is economic in nature as many studies on time use pattern reveal.

The deep roots of patriarchy in our Indian cultural system have stemmed out in forms of cultural alterations that breed on women’s unpaid labour. The irony is that women have internalized this culture of patriarchy, holding that it is their duty to obey and serve men, accepting arguments that their aptitudes are inferior to those of men.

Women enter the labour market experiencing many inhibitions. Literature on women and work are flooded with articles on feminization of the workforce that may create misconceptions. Feminization may occur in two ways, firstly with more females entering the labour market, and secondly there may be opening up of more sectors for female work. But interesting revelations from national data sets reflect the fact that these women entering the labour markets are vulnerable to poor social security norms as well as skewed wage gaps. Also neo female specific sectors like hotels, restaurants etc. capitalize on women’s state of acute vulnerability.

Therefore, when we talk about women empowerment and their emancipation through increased employment participation, we need to be very cautious as to what parameters of empowerment we are considering. This article focuses on the vulnerabilities in the labour market that may challenge the thesis of positive impact of female employment, considering the nature and quality of employability. There are simultaneously other issues that need to be looked upon like whether women, who work, have control over their resources, whether they have autonomy to take their own decisions etc. The entire nature of empowerment or disempowerment is conditioned by socio-cultural and economic context, unique to each individual woman. Further, it is a deeper issue of research how the urban and rural socio-cultural set up governs her status of empowerment or her status in the family and society at large.

The post ‘Just A Housewife': The Deep Roots Of Patriarchy That Breed On Women’s Unpaid Labour appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Charu Bahri, Indiaspend.com:

In January this year, the government asked for public opinion on tougher new laws to curb smoking: To raise the minimum smoking age to 21 from 18, and to ban the sale of single cigarettes, which account for 70% of nationwide cigarette sales.

People responded enthusiastically; 45,000 emails and 100,000 letters poured in to the health ministry, as Reuters reported earlier this month. What they said, however, is not known because the government hasn’t yet read the messages, according to a health ministry representative quoted in the story.

Like those messages, the World Health Organisation’s Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2015 is largely ignored in India. Its single-line message: [envoke_twitter_link]Raising tobacco taxes can help curb smoking[/envoke_twitter_link].

Curbing smoking is very important to India for two reasons:

• About one million Indians die from smoking-related causes every year, which are among the top three ways to die
• Smoking also saps Indians of money; more money, it emerges, than it earns for the government.

Indians aged 35 to 69 spent Rs 104,500 crore ($15.9 billion) in 2011 on diseases associated with tobacco–including cancer, respiratory diseases, tuberculosis and cardiovascular diseases. This figure is almost six times as much as central-excise tax collections from all tobacco products that year, according to the Government of India, WHO and the Public Health Foundation of India.

To put the health cost of tobacco in further perspective, it exceeded the combined annual state and central government expenditure on health care by 12% in 2011.

Taxes on cigarettes rise–not enough–but they do. Bidis are the problem

[envoke_twitter_link]A 10% price increase on tobacco products could cut consumption between 2% and 8% in developing nations[/envoke_twitter_link], according to the WHO. Tax hikes increase prices, which in turn lower demand and protect people from the ill effects of tobacco.

"Raising taxes is a win-win situation,” said Arun Thapa, Acting WHO Representative to India. It’s good for human health and for the country’s fiscal health.”

Over the last 19 years, taxes on cigarettes in India have risen 1606%. As the next part of this series will tell you, that isn’t quite enough, and the six-tier tax structure is so complex–based on stick lengths and filters–that companies manipulate it with relative ease to keep demand intact.

The biggest problem in curbing tobacco use lies with the influence wielded by those who make the humbler–but more damaging–cousin of cigarettes, the bidi.

Taxes on a pack of bidis are 7% of the retail price, less than a tenth of the WHO’s suggested level of 75%. A 20-stick pack of best-selling cigarettes is taxed around 60% of retail price.

Bidi smokers make up 61% of the nation’s 120 million smokers, according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2010. This is a conservative estimate. Some studies peg the numbers of bidi smokers higher, at 73%, even 85%.

Bidi smokers face a higher risk of developing potentially-fatal chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), among other illnesses, because tobacco is packed more loosely in bidis, requiring smokers to inhale more strongly.

But the bidi industry has consistently squeezed concessions from the government.

Million of jobs and livelihoods at stake, so taxes must stay low, argue bidi barons

Here are some concessions the government gives the bidi industry:

• Handmade bidi units (98% of bidis are handmade ) producing less than two million sticks in a year are exempt from excise duty.
• Bigger bidi makers pay a duty of 1.6 paise per handmade stick and 2.8 paise per machine-made bidi. The duty on cigarettes varies between Rs 1.28 and Rs 3.37 per stick.

Some eight million people work as bidi rollers nationwide, said a representative of the All India Bidi Industry Federation.

[envoke_twitter_link]Increasing taxes on bidi would invariably increase the illicit trade in bidis, leading to the proliferation of fake bidis[/envoke_twitter_link], Sable argued. It would also deprive states and the central government of tax revenue.

These arguments do not wash, say experts.

No socio-economic case for low bidi taxes, contend experts

In 2013, the bidi industry contributed less than 3% to the government’s central excise collection from tobacco products, not surprising, given the low excise duty it pays.

A Public Health Foundation of India study says there is indeed scope for taxes on bidis to be increased.

“Doubling bidi excise would help cut consumption by 40% and increase tax revenue by 22%,” said Monika Arora, director, Health Promotion and Tobacco Control Initiatives, Public Health Foundation of India.

Essentially, the argument goes, higher tax rates would offset any loss of excise from fall in consumption. In the bargain, spending on “useful” goods and services will grow.

“Money not spent on bidis or cigarettes will not disappear from the economy,” said Prabhat Jha, founding director of the Centre for Global Health Research, University of Toronto. “It will be spent on other products which generate employment.”

Additional revenue could help the government meet the cost of transitioning bidi workers to other means of employment. The government has previously considered a cess on cigarettes to encourage farmers to switch from tobacco to other crops.

So, why not tax all segments of the tobacco-products industry, experts suggest, to fund a gradual transition? Bidi workers, among some of India’s most disadvantaged people, can only benefit.

Bidi workers: Among India’s worst paid workers and plagued by ill health

“The effect (of high taxes and low consumption) on bidi employment will take years,” said the University of Toronto’s Jha. “It does not mean current bidi rollers will lose their jobs. It means fewer people will take low paying bidi rolling jobs in the future.”

West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are among India’s top bidi-producing states. In West Bengal’s district Murshidabad, bidi rolling is pretty much the only livelihood.

Bidi workers in Murshidabad earn Rs. 100/- per 1,000 bidis. Those in Uttar Pradesh earn Rs. 90/- per 1,000 bidis. Bidi workers are among the lowest-paid ‘manufacturing’ employees in India, according to this 2014 study. They constitute 1% of all employment in India but collectively earn 0.1% of all wages.

“They earn minimum wages or ‘negotiated’ wages,” said Sable. ‘Negotiated’ means a lower wage than the minimum government-prescribed wage, for which Sable said the consent of the local government authority is always taken.

“Lower wages are negotiated because the cost of the bidi has to be kept low for the consumer and also ensure parity with wages in neighbouring states,” said Sable.

Collusion between local government authorities and the bidi industry–as Sable admits to–keeps bidi workers in penury, while tying their daily wage to punishing targets of about 1,000 bidis a day causes ill health, write Sunanda Sen and Byasdeb Dasgupta in their book “Unfreedom and Waged Work: Labour in India’s Manufacturing Industry.”

Most workers are given tobacco to roll at home. Protective measures such as masks and gloves are unheard of, and soon enough, they suffer the ill effects of exposure to tobacco flakes and dust.

“Ear, throat and lower respiratory tract infections are common among bidi workers,” said Arora. “So are cancer and tuberculosis.”

[envoke_twitter_link]Bidi workers and rollers exposed to tobacco dust had a six-fold higher incidence of respiratory impairments, such as breathlessness and cough[/envoke_twitter_link], reported a 2006 study in Murshidabad, West Bengal.

Many women workers suffer gynaecological problems and pregnancy complications. This should be a concern, as 90% of the workforce is female.

Transitioning bidi workers to other manufacturing jobs would be good for them. Raising taxes on bidis would be good for the country as a whole. The only people who might not benefit are the bidi company barons.

(Bahri is a freelance writer and editor based in Mount Abu, Rajasthan.)

This article was originally published on IndiaSpend.com, a data-driven and public-interest journalism non-profit.

The post When Endangering Health Is Better Than Taxing Beedi: India’s $16 Bn Tobacco Industry appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Ankita Mukhopadhyay:

I studied in an English medium school since the beginning. For me, learning to communicate in English was an utmost necessity as a child, because it was a sign of me being 'educated'. Many Indians of my generation have faced a similar situation - they belong to a generation where private schools have mushroomed up and their parents, having 'suffered' after being educated in the vernacular, decided to put their children in an English medium school. With economic liberalisation in the 90s, English became a language learnt by most privileged young children in 'English medium' schools. Currently, according to the latest data compiled by the National University of Education, Planning and Administration (NUEPA), the number of children studying in English-medium schools has increased by a staggering 274% between 2003 and 2011, to over 20 million students. After two decades of rapid economic growth, landing employment has also become equated with knowing English, especially due to the software boom and the expansion of the service sector.

English was handed to India by the British along with colonialism. It is a remnant of our colonial past, much like the railways. But unlike the telegraph, it is here to stay.

The hegemony of English around the world has propelled upper and middle-class Indians to pursue education in English with a vengeance. Knowledge of the language makes us more coveted in the job market, more acceptable as educated individuals in society. It is not a new trend to see youngsters talking to each other in English to appear cool and distinctive from the 'local' population. In schools, if children talk to each other in Hindi, or another local language, it is not uncommon for parents to say, "I send you to English medium to talk in Hindi? Wasting your parent's money!"

Coaching classes have sprung up to capitalise on our new obsession with learning English. It is not uncommon for us to be embarrassed by a family member who can’t speak English 'correctly'. [envoke_twitter_link]Why has knowledge of English become a social status?[/envoke_twitter_link] [envoke_twitter_link]Is speaking in an Indian language a matter of shame?[/envoke_twitter_link]

India is a country of myriad languages and it is difficult to pin down one as the official language. Hindi is one of the working languages of our country alongside English, but our national language isn't just Hindi. There are still many schools in India imparting education in the vernacular, and it is sad to see the lack of social mobility in vernacular educated students. Studying in the vernacular is treated by the average Indian youth today as a sure shot method of escalating down the society's ladder of progressivism. Students who don't know English are demotivated so much by society and by the education system that they lose confidence and begin doubting their value addition to the academic atmosphere. Even speaking in any other language in the workplace, school or college apart from English is becoming a bane for teachers, administrators, children and parents alike.

English has created opportunities, and its adoption for all major examinations like the JEE Advanced, AIPMT, UPSC has cemented its status as the dominant language of the country. It is not surprising to see many Indians today who claim to be monolingual. In a country that speaks 780 languages, 220 have already been lost in the past 50 years, according to the People’s Linguistic Survey of India. And we are on the road to losing the other 560 too.

Our vernacular education is dying, languages like Sanskrit are considered the most 'atrocious' subjects to study at University. I remember seeing young students choosing languages like French over Hindi/Marathi as a second language in school - because it was more "global". The fascination of integrating with the 'Western world' motivates us to discard our heritage and shun those who are sticking to it. Despite not having English as its first language, China has outrun India in every area of economic endeavour in the last 35 years, except in computer software industry and agricultural research. Why? Because [envoke_twitter_link]the language of a country isn’t directly proportional to development[/envoke_twitter_link].

We shouldn’t let the vernacular die for something that isn't even our own. Our feeling of accomplishment of knowing English is dangerous, and unfortunately, we all feel that just because we speak a particular language, we own it. Yes, English is a universal language. And we should learn to live with the fact that most of us aren't the top-most speakers of the language. No language can be perfectly mastered, but no master of a language should deter another person from trying to speak it. You can know your vernacular language, yet learn a foreign language. The logic of Indians who speak to their children in English is absurd. I once heard a lady tell her son, "Don’t talk in Hindi. It is crass." I was amused at the fact that she decided to shun her entire heritage at one go by labelling her identity as 'crass'.

[envoke_twitter_link]Education in the vernacular isn't a disgrace - it is a source of empowerment[/envoke_twitter_link]. It is an assertion of our culture. Just because a foreign language helps us stand out on a world forum, doesn't mean it’s a sign of civilisation. If this were true, Japan, Germany or France wouldn't have been functional countries today. It is necessary to know English, but it shouldn’t be a hegemonic language. [envoke_twitter_link]Speaking, writing or communicating in our mother-tongue shouldn’t be a matter of shame[/envoke_twitter_link].

The post The Obsession With English: Why Are Local Indian Languages A Matter Of ‘Shame’? appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Kunal Arora:

“Yes we talk about equal rights and respect in a relationship but by law we favour a man over women.”

Every now and then we have tried to bring change in the society by removing inequality, and uplift the status of women. It’s through the efforts of some courageous souls that we have reached so far, and erased numerous discrepancies in the political and legal system. By providing this positive environment to grow in we have made women stronger. From Indira Gandhi to Saina Nehwal, women have achieved new heights, showing the world what they are capable of and that no gender is superior to the other. Prevention of trafficking, dowry prohibition, National Commission for Women, all has added to provide a non-discriminating environment. But inspite all the efforts, from time to time dignity of Indian women still becomes a paradox, by law.

[caption id="attachment_47258" align="aligncenter" width="800"] For Representational Purposes Only[/caption]

Since decades, we have been trying to restore equal rights in heterosexual relationships. And yet, on 18th Feb 2015 the Supreme Court of India rejected the plea of a woman, who had been sexually abused by her husband repeatedly. The honoured judges of the court commented, “You are stating a personal cause not a public cause”. Section 375 of Indian Penal Code puts down an exception clause as “sexual intercourse by a man with his own wife not being under 15 years of age, is not rape”. By law, a husband can sexually exploit the wife, and she cannot raise her voice against it. [envoke_twitter_link]We are living in a country where a married man has the right to rape his wife[/envoke_twitter_link], and the law doesn’t support her. Physical intimacy in a relationship is a matter of mutual concern and forcing someone against their wish is nothing but raping the partner.

The Status of World on Marital Rape

Shockingly only 52 countries consider marital rape as a criminal offence, including 18 states in Unites States, New Zealand, Sweden and others but no other country supports women on the issue. About two-third of Indian women in the age group of 15 to 49 are forced to provide sex, raped or beaten, in accordance to the UN Population Fund. Another report by United Nations states the number of marital rapes reported is very less due to social stigma, the fear of being disowned by the family and honour killing.

Countries, where the status and dignity of women are based on virginity, are facing more problem. Asian and African countries, which have social and religious stigma attached to it, follow the practice of discrimination based on the woman's virginity. This includes India, Taliban, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Iraq, Sudan and many more. There are no cases being filed against the husband as they consider sex as the need of a man, and the behaviour of the wife can force the husband to rape her.

A Paradoxical Statement

“1, July 2015, No mediation in rape cases, a woman’s body is her temple, SC, India.”

The case involved an attempt to rape on a minor in Madhya Pradesh, India in 2008; the Supreme Court stated that no mediation will take place in such an instance.

Rightly said, a human body is a temple in itself, and no compromises can be made in the case of rape. No mediation shall be considered, in working out the case outside the court, and without the supervision of a higher law authority. However, there are plenty of cases where the court has asked to settle the matter by mediation, putting respect of women at stake, such as the rape case of a minor, where the Madras High Court allowed mediation, saying that, “In fact, even in Islam, Hinduism and Christianity, there are instances of solving the disputes in a non-belligerent manner. The result of it is very good because there is 'no victor, no vanquished'."

Supreme Court by rejecting mediation in rape cases, is respecting women, and yet looking at the disparity in cases of rape within and outside of marriage, is bewildering. In one view, the apex court talks about respecting women and, on the other hand, marital rape pleas are rejected.

If we call marriage as holy then creating the same status for those within the institution is mandatory, and laws need to be amended and upheld for the same. I believe that women's contribution to the society has always been more than men. A woman sacrifices her personal desires to keep her family as the priority because of religion and culture, and we need to honour and respect that. Many laws need to be altered but before that the mindset of the society needs drastic improvement.

The post When Rape Is Too “Personal” For Law- The Paradox Of Rape Laws In India appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Rhea Almeida: 

Note: This article was originally published on Homegrown.

Even the mention of the word 'period' publicly in India is enough to make women uncomfortable and men cringe. Perhaps the biggest problem with the conversation around menstruation is that there isn’t one. At least, not a loud or engaging enough one. [envoke_twitter_link]Only 12% of India’s 355 million menstruating women use sanitary napkins[/envoke_twitter_link], for reasons ranging to lack of economic capabilities, limited access, orthodox customs and an overall lack of menstrual education. Despite efforts of various women-focused NGOs and different groups aiming to create a more open, healthy environment for menstruating women, misconceptions are rampant. A big step forward in the conversation are projects like Menstrupedia - a guide for young menstruating girls in India that’s radically changed the way people are communicating and receiving menstrual information. Biological facts, puberty-related explanations, myths proven false and savvy hygiene tips all packaged in a cute, accessible wrapping – this menstrual manual holds the awareness India needs.

As we begin our own journey towards identifying the problem and tackling it, we realized that this is hardly only an Indian issue. [envoke_twitter_link]Women across the world suffer from impractical, and sometimes bizarre discrimination purely because of their periods[/envoke_twitter_link]. From Zambia to Japan to Iran, here’s 11 different reasons the world needs to grow up when it comes to the very healthy, very normal bodily function that every woman of age goes through once a month.

Get with the program.

I. In Kenya, girls fashion UNsanitary pads from leaves, rags and even mud

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="383"] Image Credit: Ji Sub Jeong, Huffington Post[/caption]

A package of sanitary napkins, even the cheapest kind, is far too expensive for the average girl in Kenya. And so, menstruating girls resort to rags, leaves, newspaper, bits of mattress stuffing or even mud to roughly fashion some sort of protection. Such slip-shod sanitary methods not only leave these girls feeling uncomfortable, they are unsanitary and can cause health problems.

II. Periods are rewarded with isolation and shame in rural Nepal

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="394"] Image Credit: Ji Sub Jeong, Huffington Post[/caption]

Although it was outlawed in 2005, remote rural villages in western Nepal continue to follow an inhumane and illogical tradition that discriminates against menstruating women. Known as the Chaupadi Tradition, this practice involves isolating girls while on their period for a week, and segregating them from the rest of society until their time of ‘shame’ is over. Girls and women subjected to this tradition are typically sent to live in a shed where they have minimal protection from the elements, can develop life-threatening illnesses and have little to no human contact. A classic example of society failing women once again.

III. Parts of Japan think that menstruation makes women unsuitable for jobs like Sushi Chef

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="191"] Image Credit: emiitoillustration[/caption]

A female sushi chef in Japan is such a rare sighting, it’s almost a myth. As per tradition, women have been excluded from the field specifically because of menstruation. Professional chefs are supposed to have a steady taste in their food, and it is believed that a woman on her period has an imbalance in taste. Turns out, the only real imbalance is in Japan’s society.

IV. Menstruating homeless women in America struggle with sanitation

Women in America that struggle with financial stability are faced with yet another challenge – proper sanitation. Most women’s shelters lack tampons and sanitary pads, since these items are expensive and supporters often don’t think to donate them. And, without access to clean showers, homeless women find it extremely difficult to stay clean and free of infection while menstruating. Serious health problems as a result of economic strife, which can be very expensive to cure – a tragic Catch 22.

V. In Malawi, you can’t even mention menstru-SHH!

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="381"] Image Credit: Ji Sub Jeong, Huffington Post[/caption]

Parents in Malawi have an effective way of dealing with their discomfort towards periods – they just pretend it doesn’t exist, simple. Shame surrounds menstruation so extensively, that parents don’t even talk to their kids about it. Young girls, with great difficulty, glean what little information they can from their aunts, who teach them how to fashion sanitary pads from old clothes. Along with these unsanitary tips, girls are given valuable advice – don’t talk to boys while menstruating. How can a woman already uncomfortable during menstruation survive when her biology is such a great social taboo?

VI. Girls in Bolivia believe that improper disposing of pads could cause cancer

For young girls in Bolivia, every month they receive three visitors – their periods, humiliation and shame. Indignity is so ingrained with menstruation that girls are urged, even by teachers, to keep their used sanitary pads far away from the rest of the trash. Defying any scientific logic, traditional beliefs hold that disposing their pads with other garbage could lead to sickness or cancer. And, as if this wasn’t enough, menstruating girls don’t even have proper access to private restrooms.

VII. In parts of India, women aren’t allowed to touch food with their 'polluting menstrual hands'

Folklore has some Indian girls and women believing that if they handle a pickle while they’re menstruating, it will spoil just by their touch. The social taboo surrounding periods deems it 'unclean' and 'unhygienic', which even translates into prayer as menstruating women are forbidden from entering temples. But it’s not just the green vegetable they’re admonished to stay away from. Women and girls are also told to avoid cooking anything altogether – don’t want to risk 'contamination' at the hands of biology. Although, it is heartening to see that these conceptions are being challenged today, and that too by mainstream media. The sanitary pad producer Whisper’s progressive commercial 'Touch The Pickle' tries to tackle this ludicrous fallacy.

VIII. Women in Afghanistan are taught that bathing during your period leads to infertility

Washing your genitals during menstruating can make you infertile? Afghanistan has abandoned scientific practicality with wide-spread misconceptions about periods, which ends up with dire sanitation problems. After searching high and low, we have finally identified the biggest menstrual health hazard – misinformation.

IX. In Iran, menstruation is not just a taboo, it's a disease

The natural process of menstruation is so hushed up, and information about it is so misguided and false, that 48 percent of girls there think that it’s a disease. Without proper menstrual education, misconceptions and false notions emerge, which can be dangerous. Social stigma driving young girls into serious sanitation and health problems – not to mention mental distress every month during ‘disease’ week. Stomach cramps suddenly seem like a much smaller menstrual problem.

X. Tradition in Zambia dictates that menstruating women aren’t allowed to eat salt

Some areas of Zambia take period-related stigma into the kitchen, with ridiculous food restrictions. In addition to not being allowed to cook, menstruating women are not permitted to even add salt to their meals. These women are subjected to immense psychological anguish at the hands of social stigma, and of course, flavourless food.

XI. Bangladeshi women bury menstrual cloths out of fear of attracting evil spirits

Girls are brought up believing that their biology is a supernatural bane that draws out wickedness. Misconceptions and stigma have led to the point where Bangladeshi women actually bury used menstrual cloths in the ground to ward of any evil spirits that might surround their periods. The biggest evil spirit we see? Backwardness.

About the author: Rhea Almeida is a features writer with Homegrown and is a mass media graduate from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai who lives to travel and explore new things. When she's not playing with her adorable dog or coming up with clever things to write in her bio, that is.

The post Not Just India, Here’s How Girls Everywhere Are Being Taught To Be Ashamed Of Their Period appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Malavika Thirukode:

Earlier, as a student, and now a practitioner, of public health, I always wonder why opinions about abortions are so polarized. Why is it that most people prefer not to talk about abortion? After all, it is one of the most widely conducted surgical procedure in the medical field. From Chinese literature of Emperor Shen Nung’s time to the Ebers Papyrus of Egypt and later, the 10th-century Persian physician Al-Rasi, all talk about abortion and contraception. Some historical figures like the Roman satirist Juvenal have gone as far as explicitly writing about “our skilled abortionists”. Over the years, these voices have been silenced by conservatism in religion, politics and by hegemonic gender roles. As a young working woman, I find the silence hypocritical and stifling. Conservatism, in development and public health, specifically in abortions, is a huge challenge.

[caption id="attachment_53049" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Image source: Roberto Trombetta/Flickr[/caption]

International Conventions On Abortion

Several international laws explicitly state that young girls and women have the right to demand and access credible and relevant sexual and reproductive health information. These documents strongly support health as a human right, to be enjoyed by all, irrespective of differences and social classifications. Article 12.2 (a) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, Article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action and the Millenium Development Goals, in addition to the most commonly quoted Programme of Action of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development- all comprehensively and explicitly state that the right to sexual and reproductive health for every young person, girl and woman is all encompassing. The rights elicited in these Declarations not only state those aspects of health that need to be prioritised but also note the obstacles that hinder the furtherance of the right to health from a gendered perspective.

Encouraging agency for girls and women (Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights); the dynamic of relationships that women must navigate in families, marriage and associated vulnerabilities (discrimination), and a woman’s right to determine her fertility are some of the perspectives considered in these Declarations. The comprehensiveness of some of these is evident as they urge nations against criminalising aspects of sexual and reproductive health, as stated in the Beijing Platform for Action. These documents embolden young girls and women to experience sexuality and reproductive health, not only as ‘fertility’ but as being sex positive. They advocate for an understanding of relationships and pleasure through the implementation of valid sexuality and reproduction related education programmes.

While researching for this article, I was appalled at my ignorance of the scope of these texts, and at the same time pleasantly surprised to know that there are voices speaking in support of the agency of women. And the questions, why are we still scared to talk about it? Why do my friends and family still believe that to get an abortion would be a scene from their worst nightmare? Why am I told never to tell anyone? loom larger than ever.

Religion And Abortion

Besides religious arm wringing, lack of awareness, criminalisation and stigma have furthered the pro-life cause. When abortion or aspects of it are a crime, it not only forces women to resort to unsafe methods and service providers, but it perpetuates stigma as well. Interestingly, the perceived stigma of legal abortion dissuades professionals from choosing to train in the procedure. In countries like India, physicians are not always aware of the country’s liberal abortion laws. And medical professionals, who are unaware contribute to the already existing prejudice. Thus the vicious circle continues. Unsafe abortions, though, whether a high or low concern, remain a public health issue. Beyond religion and politics, medical and international development fraternities also have a role to play in normalizing abortion in communities and clinics.

The experiences of girls and women cannot be explained in terms of religion, and that a 'man' always knows best. ‘Viability’ is not a universal term, it is a personal philosophy. The choice to end a pregnancy is as noble and as brave as the choice to care for a physically challenged baby. But this is a choice and a personal one at that. If you are to practice choice and faith with relation to safe abortions, choose to support the girls and women in your life. Talk to them about contraception- the right way to use them, where you can find one, how you can ask for one and the like. Have faith that, armed with the correct information, she will be capable of choosing what she believes is best for her. And should you have to deal with a spiritual dilemma- non-violent dialogue/protest is your safest bet to heaven.

Demystifying Medical Abortion

The central message is that a safe abortion can not only save a life in the most straight-forward reality of decreased maternal mortality and morbidity but, if performed legally and safely, it allows the young woman to fulfill her aspirations. These will include one of these or a combination of the following: going back to school/college/university, earning a livelihood and improve her social mobility. Programmes like the NIKE Girl Hub and Gapminder’s Hans Rosling have all provided credible evidence that education leads to better reproductive health in young girls. By disallowing her fundamental right to choose, you simply stop her from ever moving out of the ‘vicious’ cycle of poverty, illiteracy and gender-based violence you often ‘quote’ as the evils of this millennium.

Reporting on abortion needs to be brought into the mainstream as it is fundamental to maternal health, by involving the medical as well as the international development fraternity. The Human Rights discourse has provided a good foundation for advocacy efforts by the two groups. The biggest hurdle in the implementation will be that of criminalisation. However, initiatives have shown that even in settings where abortion is criminal, both clinicians and advocates have initiated programmes to ensure that women have access to information on medically safe and successful procedures.

At the medical level, doctors must be encouraged to train for providing a safe procedure, irrespective of its social implications in a legal or restricted setting. Licensing procedures in restricted settings should be made easier to generate demand for the service. Abortion-related complications should be reported, and governments should ensure that providers and clients are protected from non-state aggression. The medical abortion method is very beneficial as, in severely restricted settings it allows for harm reduction strategies, which protect both the clinician and the client, without hampering access to evidence-based information. This has been the experience of initiatives such as Women on Waves and the Uruguay model, both of which have successfully helped women undergo a medical abortion.

The [envoke_twitter_link]development sector needs to de-medicalise and demystify abortion[/envoke_twitter_link] to align with equality, equity and health as human rights, enshrined in the laws mentioned above. In legalized and restricted settings abortion counseling can be implemented by intermediate service providers such as pharmacists and paramedics. Medical abortions are often mistaken to be a surgical procedure when in reality it is medically induced through pills. Providers of herbal abortifacients can also be trained to provide the medicines. International non-governmental and advocacy organisations need to work towards decriminalizing and destigmatising abortions, especially in very religious communities and also within their institutional structures (commonly known as ‘Value Clarifications’). They must encourage greater acceptance of modern contraceptives to reduce the demand for clandestine procedures.

The Individual And Abortion

My parents often told me that the two things you should ‘avoid’ discussing in a crowd were politics and religion. How ironic that outside the pages of public health, human rights and popular wisdom, the [envoke_twitter_link]laws on abortion are nothing but a poisonous concoction of religion and politics[/envoke_twitter_link], one always trying to outdo the other!

Stories have an impact. Whether it is your own or that of a friend, acquaintance; or mere hearsay – even a myth says something about the individual, community, or a school of thought. Abortion too is a part of many stories. Some are of brave and angry women demanding a greater place in our world for women’s choices; some are that of priests and clergyman for recognition and redemption rather than termination. Some are of advocates at parliaments, international organisations and community movements. But most stories are that of your friends, maybe even yourself. And they often go unheard. Maybe you don’t think that it's important to talk about it, or you are afraid to talk about it, for fear of being judged or incarcerated. For many, it is now just a memory. The voices of others are silent if your voice is not heard, if it is not articulated. They are silent until promises are kept and memories turn empowering not embarrassing.

The post ‘Abortions Shouldn’t Be Embarrassing But Empowering': What Organisations Can Do To Help appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Krithika Rao:

Heena, a 10-year old girl with big dreams in her big eyes, studies in a low-income private school in Seelampur, Delhi. It had been a week since she was stopped coming to school. Although all the kids live in the same locality, nobody knew the reason for her absence. So, after a week of continuous absence, I decided to visit her house. Heena lives in Dedh number gali (Street number 1 and a 1/2), a very narrow side lane in the Brahmpuri area of Seelampur, where piled up garbage and bees hovering over them grace the street every 50 meters. The lady who greeted me at the door looked so young and small, with shrunken eyes and a bandaged head. Had it not been for the sari and her covered head with ghungat, I would have mistaken her for any regular college-going girl. With folded hands she said, "Namaste ma'am, main Heena ki mummy." That day, I stayed and talked with Heena's mother for nearly 2 hours. It seemed that she never had anyone to talk to about her woes to and today she could let her heart out.

Heena's mother, Tanvi, got married at the age of 14 and had Heena at 15. Tanvi lost her father when she was 6 to alcohol and drugs. Her mother took care of her but unable to sustain themselves, married Tanvi off to an unemployed person. She is 25 years old today, has 3 children and is a victim of physical, mental and sexual abuse. Tanvi's husband comes home drunk almost every night and beats her and the kids. 3 nights ago, he tried forcing himself on her in front of the kids, and when she declined and fought back, he beat her so bad that he almost banged her head, and he called her and Heena a whore. She lay unconscious for hours. She says, "Ma'am, is umar mein maine jitna dekha hai or saha hai, utna kabhi kisi aur ko na dekhna pade" (Ma'am, I wish nobody ever has to go through what I have gone through at such a tender age).

"I am 25 with 3 kids and an abusive husband. I am living only for the kids, else I have no wish or a reason to live."

"Mera sapna? Main dancer banna chahti thi." (My dream? I wanted to become a dancer).

"Mujhe apne liye koi ummeed nahi hai, bas ab sab kuch in bachon ke liye hi hai" (I don't have any hope for myself, now I just want to give my kids everything).

Very sadly, it's the same with Shabia, Fiza, Tanya and many more women in Seelampur. A lot of them never had any education, they are dependent solely upon their drunk husbands and other male members in their family. It is very sad that even after 70 years of Independence when the whole nation is revolutionizing, in many parts of our society women are still subjected to neglect, violence and abuse. They are still supposed to cover their faces and hide themselves behind the purdah(veil) when an elderly person or an outsider comes; their schooling is stopped after 8th grade; they are not allowed to work outside.

[caption id="attachment_54400" align="aligncenter" width="800"] For representation only[/caption]

Having grown up in a posh community with all the privileges, worked and lived abroad, advocating about how much India has grown and how it's women have come up in their life and how India is not the land of snake charmers, elephants and women behind purdahs anymore to first-world countries, this came as a hard slap on the face.

I work as a teacher in Seelampur in North-East Delhi, as part of Teach for India, an NGO that works for education equality in low-income communities. During this fellowship, I got to realize how easy our life has always been and how difficult it could get. Now in my second year of the 2 year fellowship, and having taught an amazing bunch of 5th graders in a low income school in Seelampur, I feel that these kids and their community have taught me much more than what I could teach them.

[envoke_twitter_link]Tanvi, Shabia, Fiza and all the other women in the community hope for a brighter future for their kids[/envoke_twitter_link]. They are willing to go to any length to give their children a good education. Tanvi has enrolled herself for 10th-grade exams through open schooling this year, despite her family's protests. I, with my colleagues, have started a skill-development training centre in Seelampur for the women to get trained in a skill that would equip them to lead a life of dignity and respect, and that would enable them to sustain themselves and ensure a good future for their children. Being part of the skill development programme will help them earn and save money for their children's future education. They all have a dream, that one day their kids will achieve their dream.

It feels wonderful when my girls tell me that they will fight for their equality (and they are only 10) when my boys argue with their parents to send their sister to school with them. It makes me believe that there is a hope for these kids, for their parents, for Seelampur and for this country.

The post The Incredible Story Of Seelampur’s Mothers: Fighting Poverty And Abuse For Their Children appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.

By Park Thaichon and Sara Quach:

Fast food giant McDonald’s has been under a cloud in recent years as its US customers turn to alternatives. In this “Fast food reinvented” series we explore what the sector is doing to keep customers hooked and sales rising.

While excess weight and obesity is a growing global concern, there has been more and more advertising and promotional effort encouraging the consumption of unhealthy food.

In many cases this marketing is targeted at children, and takes place online. In our recent study we investigated the impact of online marketing communications on children and their intention to consume unhealthy food. We found fast food ads on social networking sites can manipulate young audiences – their purchasing likelihood, their views of fast food and their eating habits.

The qualitative study included a sample of 40 Australian children who use social networking sites. Half (21) of the children were male and the average age was 14 (the youngest being 12 and the oldest 16). Their parents were also present during the interview, however they agreed not to intervene during the conversation.

A growing problem

The prevalence of excess weight and obesity among Australians has been growing for the past 30 years. Between 2011 and 2012, around 60% of Australian adults were classified as overweight, and more than 25% of these fell into the obese category. In 2013, more than 12 million, or three in five Australian adults, were overweight or obese. On top of that, one in four Australian children were overweight or obese. Excess weight and obesity is only beaten by smoking and high blood pressure as a contributor to a burden of diseases.

Despite this, the food industry is succeeding in using marketing communications to change attitudes, perceptions and perceived norms associated with unhealthy food.

Consumers are lured by surprisingly cheap deals, which are especially attractive to teenagers and young adults with low income. But sales promotions such as discounts and coupons often offer only short-term benefits to consumers and are usually not effective among middle-age adults.

However, if a promotion is offered for a long period of time (i.e. more than three months), it can actually influence customer habits, encouraging repeat purchases – for example, the $1 frozen Coke.

Similarly, sales promotions can make other brands be perceived as less attractive by customers after a period of time. For instance, the $1 frozen Coke campaigns by McDonald’s and Hungry Jack’s affect the perception of frozen Coke in terms of monetary value. Many consumers become less willing to buy a frozen Coke that is more expensive than $1. The same can be said of $2 burgers or $5 pizzas.

The role of social networks

More than half (16 out of 30) of the [envoke_twitter_link]respondents admitted they tended to change their eating habits after repeatedly being exposed to advertisements[/envoke_twitter_link] on social networking sites.

“Yes, many people say that it is not good to eat fast food. I used to think so but not anymore. Look at their ads, they are colourful, many options and cheap.”

“I just cannot resist it… I had been looking at the ads day after day and I decided that I needed to try these”.

Interestingly, [envoke_twitter_link]fast food was associated with socialisation and fun among young consumers[/envoke_twitter_link].

“The ads make me feel like this is where we belong to. This is our lifestyle…where we hang out and can be ourselves.”

“This is about our culture, young, active and free. We are kids but also not kids. We are different.”

Peer pressure

Peer pressure is heavily related to eating habits, especially during puberty when there is usually a shift from home influence to group motivation. Teenagers and young adults in particular tend to choose a particular type of food under peer pressure.

More than 70% of teenagers will choose a food according to the preference of their friends. This means marketing communications promoting fast food consumption can create a snowball effect within this group of customers. For example, Jack, Sara and Park go out together. If Jack and Sara order Big Burgers with extra cheese, the likelihood that Park will order another Big Burger with extra cheese is approximately 75%. In contrast, only 2.7% of people aged over 40 choose fast food because of their peers.

It’s clear marketing efforts by fast food chains can promote unhealthy eating habits. Also, peer influence plays an important part in forming eating habits. This means the intervention of government and health organisations should concentrate on increasing customers’ attention to health issues, self-efficacy and perceived norms, and at the same time, lessening the influence of marketing efforts aimed at motivating unhealthy eating habits.

About the authors: Park Thaichon, Assistant Professor of Marketing, S P Jain School of Global Management and Sara Quach, PhD Student, Swinburne University of Technology

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

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By Vaagisha Das: 

"We have been facing untouchability, atrocity, boycott and gang-rape - at the root of all these problems is the Hinduwadi system. While living in this system, no friend from outside helps us saying it is our internal issue. We have thought that if we have to save our future, if not present, then we will have to go out of this system," said Satish Kajla wearing a white Muslim skullcap. He is just one of the victims of the rigid Hindu caste system which, to this day, seeks to vehemently oppress those belonging to the lowest of castes - the Dalits. Satish hails from Haryana, where a majority of the Dalits, tired of being forced to live in seclusion by the upper caste Hindus, have chosen to embrace Islam instead. These Muslim Dalits are part of a growing number of the lower caste Hindus who have converted to other religions such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Sikhism in order to escape the shackles of the caste system that was an integral part of the Hindu social order. Although given legal sanction by the Indian Constitution, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of caste and directs equal treatment, in most communities of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, caste system- and the ensuing discrimination for the Dalits - is commonplace, and little can be done to regulate it.

[caption id="attachment_24066" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] For representation only[/caption]

The Dalit-Muslim Identity

The term in itself seems to be a contradiction, as there is no concept of a caste system in Islam. Yet the group is slowly seeking to form an identity of its very own, with some Dalits - seen as the lowest of the low in the Hindu caste system, and traditionally performing tasks that rendered them 'impure' – converting to other faiths either as a mark of protest against the oppression and acts of violence faced by them due to members of the upper castes, and many more to secure hope for the future, where they will no longer be treated as inferior. With some considering Islam as "a great example of equality in the world", they became Muslims, hence crafting the term 'Dalit Muslims'.

However, conversion comes with its own set of difficulties - it is by no means an escape. A majority Muslims in the aforementioned states are low caste converts, and these prejudices of class apparently transcend religions. Muslims are divided into ashrafs - the 'nobles' and the ajlafs- the 'low born', to say nothing of the 'jatis' or sub-communities present within these.

Yoginder Sikand, an Indian writer and academic, says, "As among the Hindus, the various jatis among the ajlaf Muslims maintain a strong sense of jati identity. The emergence of democratic politics is, however, bringing about a radical change in the manner in which this sense of identity is articulated. Aware of the importance of numbers in order to acquire political power and the economic benefits that accrue from it, the Dalit movement has sought to establish a wider sense of Dalit identity that transcends inter-caste and inter-religious divisions and differences among the ‘lower’ caste majority. This wider Dalit identity does not seek to deny individual jati identities. Rather, it takes them into account but seeks to subsume them within the wider collective Dalit identity, based on a common history of suffering as well as common racial origins as indigenous people." Hence, there is the emergence of a new 'Dalit Muslim' identity, seeking to bring all the 'lower' caste Muslims under one umbrella, defined by their common identity as Muslim as well as Dalit.

The conditions of Dalit Muslims are worrisome - with respect to poverty, they are unquestionably amongst the worst off Dalits, not even featuring in the affluent group for urban India. In terms of occupation in the urban sector, they are in the bottom slot, with the highest proportion in the 'casual labour' and the lowest proportion in the 'regular wage' category, and educationally too, they remain lacking- worst off in rural India in terms of illiteracy, but ironically, this is matched by the levels of illiteracy among Dalit Hindus. In short, even when they convert to a different religion, in terms of educational benefits and other forms of help, [envoke_twitter_link]they remain Dalits first, and Muslims second – a combination ill-suited for survival in India’s hierarchy[/envoke_twitter_link] where wealthy, upper caste Hindus take precedence.

The Ghar Waapsi Philosophy And The Anti-Conversion Laws: The Difficulties Faced In Conversion

Often, converts have to face violent protests from people who do not want them to leave the religion. This now has legal validation - hence the anti-conversion laws in various states that have already been enacted, and the zealous Hindus who have now propounded the concept of 'ghar waapsi', where, as a Vishv Hindu Parishad party member puts it, "We are bringing people back into the Hindu fold, as it is their original religion."

This is being done under the guise of the Anti-Conversion Law, which forbids conversion to any other religion unless the head of the district administration is duly notified. Supposedly to protect people from forced conversion- conversion under fraud and inducement, the law imposes a double penalty on people from lower castes wishing to convert, if found guilty of the above. Dalit Christian and Dalit Muslim converts, when arrested under Anti-Conversion laws, are subject to a 'purification' or a cleansing and made to 'reconvert' to their original religion. The ideas imposed by this programme - that of being of an 'original' or 'authentic' lineage to belong to the land go directly against the secular policies of our Constitution.

Unsurprisingly, these laws seem to be evoked only when the people involved seek to move out of Hinduism. Even more unsurprisingly, while the administration stringently enforces laws in Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, it does not raise the issue of 'reconversion' even once. Added to this the violent reactions of the community in which converts are born into (in the community’s pursuit of detainment of those who want to convert, some are even killed), and the difficulties seem to be never-ending.

The Disadvantages Of Conversion: Reservation Act And Positive Discrimination

Even if they do manage to avoid getting arrested on the basis of such anti-conversion laws, the Dalit Muslim converts enter into identity doldrums, where even though they form a minority, and that too a highly disadvantaged one, they are no longer eligible for the positive discrimination extended to Scheduled Castes by way of the Reservation Act.

As a result of wealthy upper-caste Hindus converting to Islam, the concept of class entered the previously class free concept of Islam - thus the Dalit Muslim converts enter a social order that is little different from the one they left behind. Although different in nomenclature, it seeks to do the same thing in principle, which is the continued oppression of the lower class. The Government seems to be of little help, as it fails to recognize Dalit Muslims under Scheduled Caste; effectively cutting off any positive discrimination that might have helped them secure jobs and other opportunities had they not been converts.

Under the Reservation Act, the socially and economically backward classes of society are given advantages in lieu of recognizing years of cruelty, yet "the protection includes Sikhs and Jains, and Buddhists, but it doesn't include Christians and Muslims, so what happens is that they get excluded from those - the quotas for SCs [Scheduled Castes]," says Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director for Human Rights Watch. Since the Dalit Muslims seem to be on the same economic and social level, there is little reason for them to not get the same benefits. When these are denied, they are forced to choose between being socially oppressed or having the opportunity to be an a level equal to the rest of the society, and that is a choice no one should ever have to make in a fair legal system.

The post Stuck Between Cruel Oppression And ‘Ghar Waapsi’, India’s Dalit Muslims Continue To Suffer appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz.