#Progress of Women's Education in India

[indizombie]

An enduring attribute of the unhelpful uncle, often witnessed on Twitter-Pradesh, is his ability to drone on about ceding privileges or spaces he has never really lost. He fundamentally believes the world is a zero-sum game where another’s gain must be his loss. Uncledom is a quagmire of self-pitying-self-serious victimhood. Conservative uncles complain about the collapse of their prestige or place, while data continues to show how wealth and assets remain concentrated amongst men and certain caste-communities. Male economic dominance and educational attainment have certainly reduced in several Western countries. But elite Indian men are hardly confronted with a radically equal world. Yes, more women are entering universities and niche sectors but we remain in the world’s bottom five when it comes to women’s economic participation. A recent EY report, Diversity In The Boardroom: Progress And The Way Forward, found women’s representation on Indian boards was 18% in 2022. France topped the chart with 44.5% women representation on company boards, followed by Sweden (40%). The report also found that women account for only 6% of executive positions on banking and capital markets boards in India. According to a report by the financial services firm Morningstar in 2022, only 8% of mutual fund managers are women. So, even amongst the upper echelons of the economy, boss ladies are few and far between. And yet, the unhelpful uncle feels he is being emasculated.

Sharanya Bhattacharya, ‘The tyranny of the Indian uncle’, Mint

[moonchild033]

Rahu in 5H & A Woman' s Marriage Plight 😌❤

In India, it is pretty common to match birth charts before fixing a marriage. We've heard that people with Dosha should marry a person with the same Dosha or do remedies before the wedding takes place. Sometimes you don't even know why your birth chart is getting rejected in a matrimonial circle, one of such placements is Rahu in 5H.

5th house in a birth chart denotes progeny and childbirth. Rahu in 5H can lead to late pregnancies, risk factors, chances for congenital problems for the baby and miscarriage.

Rahu in 5H can also develop an irregular menstrual cycle in women or conditions like PCOS or uterine cysts.

Rahu in 5H especially in a woman's chart is considered to be bad for childbirth. Women should not be considered as baby making machines and solely this shouldn't be the reason to reject a good woman, that too in this progressive generation of medical advancements. But sadly this is one such placement in women I've noticed, who are struggling to find a suitable groom in India even if their education, job, appearance, personality and everything is really good.

Loopholes in the birth chart to overcome the ill-effects of 5H Rahu😇😌:

Jupiter's aspect falls on the 5th,7th and 9th house from where he is positioned. If Jupiter 's any of this aspect falls on Rahu, the issues with childbirth will be negligible. Ex.: If a person has a Taurus ascendant, Rahu is in Virgo, Jupiter is in Pisces. Now, Jupiter's 7th aspect falls on Rahu (In virgo) when counted from Jupiter's position. Hence this person can overcome the progeny issues with Jupiter's blessings.

The 6H lord should be stronger or equally strong as the 5H lord, both 5H and 6H lords should not be afflicted (ie. In contact/aspected by malefic planets).

The lagna(ascendant) lord in exaltation or own house. It is said that people with strong lagna lord can recover easily from any type of illness, leading to effective treatment and cure.

What if your birth chart does not satisfy these loopholes? 🤯

Don't get disheartened, it's okay, you will be fine. If you don't have any reproductive problems and you have this placement, then continue to eat healthy. If you are facing such problems and have this placement, consult the physician and undergo required treatment, I'm pretty sure you will be perfectly alright in this era of advanced medical intervention. If you don't want a baby and have this placement, it is fine too, you've the right to choose for yourself. Whatever it is, always remember to stay happy and healthy. ❤😚

Note: This doesn't mean that every woman with this placement ought to have reproductive issues, always check the overall birth chart, don't conclude anything from a single placement.💫

Please feel free to comment down your thoughts/questions! 🤗

Let's Learn and Grow Together!💅💋

With Love-Yashi❤⚡

Here's my Masterlist! 💖

[its-pluto2]

A lot of people like to say radical feminists are white women and therefore white supremac*sts and whatnot. Have you not noticed that a lot of radical feminists aren't even white?

We're Mexican. We're Latin American. We're from India, from the Middle East, from Asia. We're from places where it is life and death to be a woman. Where we're targeted as criminals for protesting the injustice we live every day, where one late night might mean we won't return home, where our sex means a difference in how we're treated all our life in every aspect of it. Jobs, socializing, studies. Everything.

Take a look at Iran. At Mexico. At Korea. Do some research before you throw around words like white supremac*st and n*zi around like they mean nothing when you're talking about radical feminists, the women fighting and putting their lives on the line to stop all of this horrible, terrifying violence against us. Literally, google any of these countries next to the word "femicide" and open your eyes a little to the harsh truth (and I must warn you, if you do this, the results will be upsetting).

You guys like to tag radical feminism as this horrible trend that oppresses other movements when in reality, it's a handful of new, "progressive", "liberal" movements that are trying to demerit and oppress feminism and feminists, whether they're aware of it or not.

If your movement has to take away women's rights, you need to revise what it is you're fighting for and how you're doing it.

I am a radical feminist because I am tired of living in fear. I am tired of hearing in the news of another woman whose life was brutally ended simply because she was a woman.

We're not dying out here, we're being murdered. We're being discriminated, we're being denied safety and body autonomy and the right to choose over what happens to our bodies, we're unable to earn the same as a man for doing the same job, we're unable to express a strong character without being called manipulative or hysterical. We have so. much. bullshit to deal with simply because we are women.

And you still think our sole purpose is to target some random movement and some set of pronouns? No, honey, feminists, real feminists, have our priorities very clear.

What we don't like is that now, we have to be reduced to our organs and that we can't even freely call ourselves women because some people will be offended even by that. I cannot fathom how some people still don't realize the slap in the face that is calling women "uterus-havers" just to coddle other people. Use what pronouns you want, but don't take away women's right to call ourselves women - how absurd is that?! I can't call myself a women to not offend certain people!

Are you really telling me that, on top of having to deal with all of the risks that being a woman implies in my life, I have to not call myself a woman and instead use some odd, progressive term just so I don't offend you?

No. Enough is enough.

Women do not deserve to be silenced, on the verge of the year 2023, because other people with very specific needs and wants, want to be coddled by us. Fight for your rights, by all means, but don't try to take away ours just so you can feel better.

Get a grip on what feminism is, what it stands for, and understand that radical feminism only exists because movement after movement tries to crush everything we've fought for and everything we've achieved.

And, if you're a woman and claim to be libfem, or claim to hate feminism, or claim that feminism doesn't represent you, think again. You're only able to have access to a computer or a mobile platform to express your opinion, wear pants, and have access to basic education, among countless other privileges you take for granted, because of feminism.

I mean, come on. A woman wishing for another woman (e.g. "terfs") to be hurt and die? How awful do you have to be to wish that upon another woman? Who's the bad feminist in this scenario?

Women should support and help women before all else, because we're all each other has. You can coddle and favor men all you want, but heaven forbid, if you ever have to deal with sexual harassment, gender violence, anything related, those men you defend won't help you. They will blame you. The men who love women who hate feminism are the men who are most prone to causing harm to a woman for any reason, and you're coddling them by saying "Oh, feminism isn't about me! I believe in not all men! Death to radfems!!"

Think about that if you consider yourself "libfem" - it's a lie. It's a goddamn lie fabricated to coddle and submit to people who feel entitled to our social struggle, people who are so privileged already that they have to find problems and social causes and make up endless terms and pronouns and bullshit to justify it.

Nothing justifies you trying to silence feminism when, all over the world, no matter what country you look into, women are hunted and hurt simply because we are women.

Get that in your heads.

[phenakistoskope]

U would get along well with the conservatives who want to abolish the Department of Education

Department of Education? I take it that's part of the US Government? Well, I live in India, and The Ministry of Education governs education here, and over the past decade, it has been ripping the Indian education system to shreds; under funding primary education and the mid-day meal program that's supposed to feed millions of children across the country, horribly under-paying the women who cook and distribute the meals, constantly slashing the budgets of public universities, in natural and human science departments, crushing protests from both teachers and students unions, outright banning unions in many cases, encouraging the establishment of hindutva propaganda courses such as ayurveda and astrology, introducing fabricated historical and sociological facts into various disciplines, all the while encouraging and profiting from the privatization of education. And I've barely scratched the surface of the ravages the Indian education system is facing at this point in time.

The university system breaking down is only one of these ravages; ruling classes are making it impossible to access education at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels, it's unacceptable. So yes, the university system is disintegrating, and I don't believe there's a mythical, pristine university system that once existed, to which we can return. Modern universities were founded as a capitalist enterprise; to progress the capitalist system, its disintegration is a product of the university system's own design, which is untenable. In the Indian case, modern universities were also established to induct the newly minted indigenous bourgeoisie into colonial service. So yes, abolish the university, but when I say abolish the university, I mean that it's already an institution whose foundations are fundamentally flawed, we need mass education, and the university is just not the institution for the task. Abolish the university so an institution that actually does provide mass education can come into being. The abolition of the university and the establishment of mass education will overlap, it'll be very weird, but in an interesting and only slightly terrifying and exhilarating sort of way. Oh, and to the person who sent this: you're an absolute piece of shit, and I think it's incurable.

[feministfang]

The lack of basic education in Pakistan automatically becomes apparent by merely giving a glance at the views on trans community held by Pakistani liberal feminists.

A few years ago, when I used to be a libfem, i was a big ally of trans community in this country. And it wasn’t because i supported these people with mental illness mutilating their body parts and transitioning into someone they are not, in fact, i didn’t even know something like this happen in many parts of the world. I was an ally like many others because i confused intersex people as trans people.

Now thankfully i have escaped that illusionary world, but more than 70% of the Pakistani feminists are still stuck there. They tend to conflate intersex and transgender identities due to a lack of awareness and understanding.

I have discussed and debated with many libfem activists here; a common belief they share is that intersex individuals belong to a diverse community known as 'khwaja sira community' which is equivalent to the transgender community. This community is recognised as a third gender category in Pakistan, with their own unique cultural practices, traditions and social structures.

It encompasses; Eunuchs, Transgender individuals, intersex individuals and gender non-conforming individuals. However, many Pakistanis conflate transgender individuals within this community as intersex.

Literally, in all their responses in defence of the trans people, they have provided me with the same biological information about intersex people as an evidence for the "natural" existence of transgenders. Anytime i tell them that males can never turn into females or vice versa, they send me a link to some site or recommend a biology book that talks about people born in variations in sex characteristics.

I have never seen someone being this confidently foolish, and this is why they get hyper-defensive over transphobic remarks or terfy opinions.

The issue doesn’t just end here; many Pakistani intersex individuals refer to themselves as 'trans people' as well. They are as much uneducated about their own identities as these paki libfems are.

Not once in my entire life there has been a trans person in my vicinity in this country, because those "transgenders" outside my car begging for money, dancing on streets, supporting women in women rights’ marches or sending their blessings to my family were all actually intersex people. However, they are commonly referred to as transgenders.

Also, this isn’t a problem in Pakistan, but the entire South Asia. A majority of the feminists in India and Bangladesh have swallowed this belief without chewing on one google research about basic differences between transgenders and intersex people. The so called desi "progressives" have accepted themselves as the most literate people in their backward societies that the thought of scratching the surface is not deemed necessary.

If you are a radical feminist from south asia, please know this and spread more awareness about what’s actually a trans cult in your community, society, social groups etc. I have been doing this since the day i woke up to the truth and i can see some changes in the feminist perspectives of those around me.

[linisiane]

Been thinking about a Modern!Babel AU centered around colleges aimed around Silicon Valley

Immigrant kids being funneled into CS because it’s the field where the money is (linguistics? Where’s the money in that? You want to starve?).

International students coming to America because all the Big Programming Languages and their documentation are in English, because translations of documentation is to err and to betray, because English is the programming lingua franca, because if you don’t know English then you’ll be “trailing edge.” Source

“As an American and native English-speaker myself, I have previously been reluctant to suggest this, lest it be taken as a sort of cultural imperialism. But several native speakers of other languages have urged me to point out that English is the working language of the hacker culture and the Internet, and that you will need to know it to function in the hacker community.” Source

So they come to America to improve their English because you have to be fluent to be taken seriously. Or maybe they’re born in America and can feel the rot of their native tongue as they grow up, even as they learn more and more programming languages.

Java, C++, Ruby, XML, Python, Swift, PHP, etc.

It’s funny, but programmers, even as they’ve decided on English as the one true language, they create more and more programming languages to suit their needs/problem solving efficiency:

Source

[ID: XKCD comic that is titled "How Standards Proliferate (See: A/C chargers, character encodings, instant messaging, etc.)" It reads,

Situation: There are 14 competing standards. Cueball (stick figure): 14?! Ridiculous! We need to develop one universal standard that covers everyone's use cases. Ponytail (other stick figure): Yeah! Soon: Situation: There are 15 competing standards.

End ID]

(transcript taken from the ExplainXKCD wiki)

And of course, the students from countries on the Indian subcontinent are acutely aware of the unbalanced nature of the work they do, the way they’re expected to do export IT work, despite the digital divide in India, Bengal, Pakistan, etc. Especially since it’s a sign of being well-educated (wealthy) to speak English fluently thanks to the history of British Imperialism on the subcontinent.

Chinese IT students sink or swim thanks Mandarin monolinguism making it difficult to learn English. Americans programmers struggle not to link choppy English with choppy code, even while being monolingual themselves!

Not to mention the heavy sexism in the IT field! Female programmers taking on nicknames on emails and resumes to pretend to be men, so they’ll be taken seriously. Despite the history of women like Ada Lovelace being foundational to computers.

And of course we gotta bring up the ethics of AI, how it’s a march towards the inevitable that only Luddites would oppose. Despite the millions who’d lose their jobs once implemented into the workplace.

Commercial transportation sector lost to self-driving cars.

Digital artists lost to DALL-E.

Manufacturers automated.

But can’t they tell that progress is inevitable? That this is the future and to try to stop it is foolish?

As Anand Giridharadas put it in Winners Take All:

“In [Silicon] Valley, prediction has become a popular way of fighting for a particular future while claiming merely to be describing what has yet to occur”

Elon Musk is a genius. Bill Gates is so charitable. Bezos is customer obsessed, and they’re the future, don’t you see? Infinite growth forever and ever.

Tower of Babel? Valley of Silicon.

Unfortunately I suck at STEM, and I’m an uncultured Asian American, so I don’t know programming languages well, nor do I know enough about other cultures to do Ramy, Victoire, Robin, or Letty justice. Just the bare bones to see the structure of this AU and put it out in the world to see if anybody would like to play with it or add on.

[youremyheaven]

https://www.tumblr.com/youremyheaven/755927012220321792/heyyyy-insert-whatever-pet-name-u-like-its-ur

Lmao not me having 0/3 despite a decent chart full of benefics. I have a strained or atleast distant relationship with each family member, very very minimal career progress, and no love life whatsoever.

But one day we’re all going to have 3/3 guys we’ve just got to wait for the right time🩷🩷🩷

Benefic planets test you the most imo 😬 I say this as someone who knows a lot of people (and that's on my 11h placements 🫶) but money, family background, "privilege" (be it pretty privilege or class privilege - and having money vs belonging to a certain social class are vvv different, atleast in India) education, relationships etc do not guarantee a happy life. There's a couple ik in their late 20s who have always seemed suuuper in love and romantic. Idk but whenever 2 people decide to get married in their mid 20s, I just feel like they're extremely in love 😭😭or something but anyways. They both have great jobs, live a life that atleast on the outside seems very fulfilling (well settled, in love, happy etc) but when I got to know them I was in for a shock😳 the man is a veryyy sociable type guy who is unnaturally close and friendly with manyyyy women and it makes the wife hella uncomfortable but she doesn't say anything bc she thinks it's just her insecurities/jealousy,, the wifey told me (day 28283 of people telling me things I have no business knowing) that they have 0 sexual compatibility and that she's scared (??) of saying no to him bc he'll go after someone else?? 😳😳😭 It was insane how insecure she is in her marriage bc I always thought she was so doted on 😭😭 but not everything is as it seems 😭

Sorry for yapping lmao

Basically, nobody has it all. Even the people you think have everything together don't actually have it all going smoothly. That's just life. It doesn't make it less worthy of living tho

Benefic planets can give you everything but still rob you of satisfaction and I say this as someone who knows many unhappy "successful" people

You're still in the process of getting there and figuring things out. You have your whole life ahead of you. More than aiming for specific milestones (make x amount of money, be in a relationship etc) I wish everybody would focus on the feelings (live a peaceful and prosperous life, be able to relax and enjoy your successes etc) and the quality of their experiences.

[indipopcorn]

Girls are saved, Girls are educated but where's her dignity!

"Save Girl, Educate Girl" campaign, "Daughter is our proud" slogan, Women's day celebration - But nothing will be changed if girls life is only for the marriage. One in five underage girls and one in six boys are still getting married before the age of 18 (Now the legal age is 21), according to a Lancet Global Health study, despite the fact that the frequency of child marriage in India decreased from 49.4% in 1993 to 22.3% in 2021. More than 13.4 million women between the ages of 20 and 24 were reportedly pushed into marriage as children by 2021, according to research estimates. Lead author Jewel Gausman, a research associate at Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, stated in the school's news release that "child marriage is a human rights violation." A number of negative health outcomes are both a cause and an effect of social and economic vulnerability. We saw a state or union territory's stall in achieving zero child marriage, which is cause for grave concern and a demand for India to rekindle progress. West Bengal recorded the greatest increase in child weddings in the nation, with over 500,000 girls getting married at an early age, compared to Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, which showed the largest decline in child marriages between 1993 and 2021. In contrast, Manipur, Goa, and Gujarat were unable to stop the rise in underage marriages (among boys) between 2006 and 2021. "The historical implementation of programs to address child marriage has varied across and within states, given that state governments tend to enact social sector policy in India," the researchers stated. In the last eight years, six Indian states reported a higher rate of child marriage in girls than the other 22 states, despite strict laws against this practice. "States that presently have a high burden and prevalence of child marriage, such Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Rajasthan, should receive special attention. They said, "Child marriages have long-term effects on fertility, health, and mortality patterns that negatively impact the population's well-being and the economy." While some research indicates that minimum marriage age laws have a positive impact on lowering the incidence of child marriage in nations that have enacted them, others contend that these laws are difficult to enforce, particularly in remote and difficult-to-reach areas or in situations where other authorities, such as religious institutions, can perform marriages without government oversight, ultimately having little effect. Furthermore, laws prohibiting child marriage might not be properly enforced, which would lessen their impact, they continued.

[tsusbengaluru]

Unveiling Excellence in Education: The Launch of The Shri Ram Universal School in North Bengaluru

The most beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you.” We are delighted to announce the launch of ‘The Shri Ram Universal School’ in North Bengaluru. ‘Since June 2003, the Shri Ram group of schools has had 50+ K12 schools across India. The Shri Ram group of institutions was founded by Sir Shri Ram in the year 1926, and he was instrumental in setting up premium educational institutions such as ‘The Shri Ram College of Commerce’ and ‘Lady Shri Ram College for Women’. 

The Shri Ram schools established in 1988 are manifested in the vision and mission of Smt. Manju Bharat Ram. At The Shri Ram Universal School North Bengaluru, we believe in the philosophy that “Every child is unique & born with inherent abilities”. While we appreciate the innate abilities in children, we constantly inspire and motivate every child & optimise their potential while customising learning to each of them consciously. 

The Shri Ram group of schools follow a common curriculum & exclusive pedagogical practice that sets in the learning trends with higher-order thinking skills, logic, reason analysis, application, & synthesis. 

As a progressive school, we at ‘The Shri Ram Universal School’ North Bengaluru, the academicians and educators, believe in an ‘active learning trend’- and hence, teaching for engagement and impact in a setting becomes the way of life. We follow individualised instructional approaches while providing assistance and mentoring effective learning in children. 

How do we at The Shri Ram Universal School North Bengaluru establish a new equilibrium or a new format or norm for ‘effective learning’?

Our core area of focus is to identify the learning styles in each child and incorporate the learning objectives and outcomes closely with visual, auditory, kinaesthetic and tactile approaches strategically.

Our curriculum and teaching-learning pedagogical practices are ‘exclusive to all Shri Ram group of schools’ and, in turn, set in a ‘Unique approach and identity to all Shrites’. The Shri Ram Universal School imparts quality education in a sprawling world-class campus spread across 4.5 acres of land with an Olympic size Athletic track, skating rink, swimming pool, cricket pitch, football field and basketball courts, taekwondo area, tennis court, robotics lab, indoor stadium, splash pool, language labs, dance, theatre, and an audio-visual room. 

While promoting individuality and ‘Holistic development’, We prepare children to be strong and confident global citizens with Indian values. 

With a sturdy vision to touch more lives and empower each of them. We are certain to lead each of them to a “better and a brighter tomorrow”. The school is a beautiful place, and as we consciously focus on a cordial, conducive, and happy environment each new day. Happiness is key to success and good health, and together as educators and academicians, we are a “Happy School” aspiring to rise above the rest and mark our presence remarkably.

Mrs Shylaja Menon Principal, The Shri Ram Universal School, Bengaluru.

[hyperdemona]

My opinion is that men should only be allowed an average life-span of around 60 or so, with only extremely intelligent and/or desirable men being allowed to age up to 85-90 so they can continue to contribute to society. This might sound brutal but my guess is that within only a few generations a system like this will lead to previously-unimaginable rates of progress for humanity. Women's energies will then be solely devoted to their own betterment and to the betterment and development of the young generation, because they wouldn't have to waste it on caring for useless and expired males and their self-centered needs and motivations.

Males expire around the age of sixty, having already passed their prime and begun their slow deterioration into old age and senility, accompanied by ill-health and the plethora of diseases males are more vulnerable to. Most males turn into a burden on society at this stage, taking up valuable resources better spent on women, growing children, and younger males, hoarding resources, retarding progress and generally being very unpleasant.

Allowing these males to continue in their population also increases the likelihood of them breeding and injecting their now-deteriorating genetic material into the reproductive pool, competing with younger, healthier males and reducing reproductive opportunities for their healthier sperm, and taking up women's valuable and limited reproductive capability. Women's reproductive capability and genetics have no expiry date: as long as a woman is physically fit enough to conceive, carry, and give birth she can bring forth healthy offspring regardless of her age; males, however, absolutely do, and, unfortunately for humanity, remain potent well past the prime of their genetic material, constantly impregnating younger women with genetically weaker offspring, often in a predatory manner. These offspring are often more prone to a slew of diseases caused by the poor quality of their aging fathers' genetic material.

When viewed through this lens, one begins to see the wisdom of ancient practices like the Thalaikoothal of South India. Denounced by the British as uncivilised and eventually banned by the Indian government, Thalaikoothal is often compared to the barbaric and self-destructive practice of widow-burning called the Sati. This, in my opinion, is by no means a fair comparison. While Sati eliminated young, healthy women still capable of birthing children and caring for them, and older women past their reproductive prime whose energies, if they weren't brutally burnt to death, would have been employed in supporting their daughters, helping raise and educating grandchildren grandchildren and contributing in other such invaluable ways to society that only a mother and grandmother are capable of, Thalaikoothal removes the most socially worthless and senile of men, men who have already made their contribution to society and ought really to be honoured to be allowed to pass away peacefully and humanely, being spared the challenges of old age old women will have to face.

The burning of Indian women upon their husbands' funeral pyres in the practice of the Sati to prove their "faithfulness" to their husbands was pointlessly barbaric, wasteful and destructive, and served no purpose other than being a startling example of the selfish and brazenly egotistical nature of males. Old men being eliminated in the practice of the Thalaikoothal, however, has a practical purpose in freeing up resources better employed in other ways.

[aroacesafeplaceforall]

Thanks for the reblog!

I'm so glad you have created a safe space for aroace people! We really need more of those.

I do not have a support group or anything because I do not know anyone who is aroace. But my friends are great and even though they don't understand, they're supportive enough and I couldn't ask for better people in my life.

Anyway, this blog is awesome because I'm always looking for a way to vent. I blabber to my friends all the time even if they're not listening, but I'm seizing this opportunity lol. So here I go (and this goes without saying, but I'm sorry because this is gonna be kinda long probably)...

So I'm a female Indian and I'm Muslim which basically means arranged marriages are a thing and that getting married in your early 20s is also a thing. So if you're a girl, most times the moment you turn 18 or maybe even before that, your family will start looking for a suitable groom for you. Some families value education and so they let the girls study and at least complete their degree. And if you're lucky, the family you're married into also values education and financial independence and will let you continue your studies or work. But not everyone is that lucky. Sometimes even if your in-laws are supportive, your husband might not be, and will stop you from studying or doing something you love.

The maximum age you can be unmarried as an Indian Muslim woman is around 25. And getting till 25 unmarried is very rare. So unmarried women above the age of 25 are even rarer. All the Muslim spinsters are either widows or divorced. Getting married is not a choice here, it's a part of life.

Most people know of the LGBTQ community here. India is not in any way progressive when it comes to the community, since it's only recently being gay stopped being a crime here. Culture and tradition is considered very important and most beliefs are rooted in religion, whatever the religion may be. So homophobia and transphobia is rampant. But the general population is aware of the existence of gay and trans people. Very few of them might now about the existence of aromanticism and asexuality. The idea of wanting to be single and/or celibate is foreign to them. And my family belongs to that group of people (that took a turn eh?)

My family is what I would like to call a semi conservative family. They are religious enough to push us to learn the holy book and pray regularly and follow religious teachings but not that much that they force us to do things that are not compulsory or whatever. They value education and freedom of choice and are not stuck in the past (which unfortunately cannot be said about most Indian families).

My mother actually got married when she was 24 and after completing her degree, which is surprising to me because that can be seen as progressive as it was rare at the time.

So yeah, I'm lucky to be part of a family like this. They're understanding, more than I think they are, but obviously I'm scared because I do not know how much that understanding extends.

I am 22 right now and mentally ill. I have been from the age of 14 or so. I haven't been diagnosed properly but I started therapy last year and my current therapist called my condition high-functioning depression which basically means that I function well enough in society but am depressed. It's apparently something most celebrities have.

My journey with mental illness is a long and exhausting one and it's still not going steady, but what I would like to mention is that what prompted me to take the big step that is therapy after many years was an event...the wedding engagement of my best friend.

My best friend and I have been friends from kindergarten. We were neighbours and classmates and our families are also very close. The news of her engagement shocked me (maybe not as much it shocked her though. It was a very sudden engagement. But she's happy and in love now and I'm happy for her.) and it made warning bells go off in my head. I suddenly felt like I was running out of time. And since I'm scared of getting married and obviously haven't come out to my parents or told them or even ever implied that I wasn't into the idea of marriage, that fear of getting married in the near future pushed me into getting therapy. It was an on and off thing for a while. Me and my first therapist did get somewhere and I'd made some progress before I was back in square one. But I have many underlying and standing issues that I never really got a chance to talk to her about marriage or any of that stuff. I have a new therapist now and I haven't talked to her about it either, I've only mentioned not wanting to get married in passing. I think it's because I know nothing I say will change the fact that I haven't told my parents and thus my future will not change or become closer to the one I have envisioned.

I am now doing a post graduate degree and I will complete it next year, after I turn 23. I don't think my family has actively started looking for proposals but they are open to accepting good ones. I have no hand in this, not right now at least. After my graduation, I will. I will be expected to look pretty and pose and look through proposals and all that shit. It sounds like torture. I've heard enough stories to know it's not a fun process.

I really want to tell my parents because if it means I have to live the rest of my life miserable, then at least I'd have spoken my truth, but I keep waiting for the right time but I've realised there is no right time, there is only a wrong time and that is when they start actively looking for a poor chap who'll want to marry me. I'm just so scared because I'm pretty sure I know what they'll say. They'll either say something along the lines of "you're just lazy and/or unprepared and/or scared" and "that is not even an option. It is compulsory (not true btw)/encouraged in Islam to get married. You will lose your ways and go astray and get into haram (Islamically) unlawful romantic/sexual relationships". Worst case scenario is that I stand my ground and refuse to get married and they'll lock me up or send me off to a mental hospital or just disown me or something. Best case scenario is they agree to not marry me off but insist I become an Islamic nun or something (which I'm not completely against. But I'm not deeply religious enough to devote my whole life to being an Islamic teacher or missionary or whatever. I will and want to do it along with whatever job I get).

Of course, there is a chance it'll not go anything like this and go in a completely different direction I didn't even think of but i seriously doubt it. You see, even if my parents are supportive of my decision to not get married, pressure from the rest of the family and societal pressure will be really strong, that even if they hold on for a while, they'll break eventually.

Now say it will go my way and I get to be a happy (or trying to be happy) spinster, then I will become the talk of the town and considered an outcast. It will not be easy attending gatherings and my family will get the brunt of it, especially my parents. Gossip is after all very destructive.

I could cut off my family after becoming financially independent but I have never even considered that an option. I love my family and I owe them a lot and I would and could never cut them off from my life (assuming that it even is possible. It's not very easy to do that here.)

So I'm stuck and this has been a burden that I've been carrying around for a while now. I knew I didn't want anything to do with romantic relationships from when I was 14 or something but then after I realised I had really low self esteem, I realised that might be why I wasn't interested in being in a romantic relationship but I have thought long and hard about it and I have come to the conclusion (one of many) that it's just something that I do not want for myself.

It had always been at the back of my mind though but this has become a more immediate worry as I'm running out of time, and so I panic every now and then when my thoughts wander and I think about the future. It's getting exhausting being so unsure of something like marriage when I'm also worried about finding a stable career and just surviving because even that is a huge question mark for me when I think about the future.

And that's that. Sorry for any typos/grammar errors! (I'm too lazy to proof read this 😅, not that that proofreading would help 😛)

I should probably go to sleep now. If you read all of that, thank you so much. It really means a lot.

Hey there! I’m glad you found a good place to vent and I hope you find happiness and love (platonic) where ever you go in life!

I honestly don’t really know what to say but I’m here for you! You sound like an incredible person and I know you’ll do well in life <3

Stay amazing and stay safe, remember no matter what happens we are all here for you and you are always valid!! <33

[scotianostra]

March 14th 1900 saw the birth of Scottish lawyer, Dame Margaret Kidd in Bo’ness. 

Today, there are around 130 practising female advocates in Scotland. Before 1923 there had been none; then along came Margaret Henderson Kidd.  

Margaret was brought up in Carriden, and that over the decade the Kidd family grew.; Margaret lived with her parents and now had five brothers and three sisters.

She educated at Linlithgow Academy, Kidd later studied law at the University of Edinburgh, graduating with an MA and LLB in 1922. Her early training was conducted with Mitchell and Baxter, writers to the signet, in Edinburgh. Although her first choice of career was the Foreign Office, the then Permanent Secretary, Mr Eyre Crowe, ‘was opposed to women’, so instead Kidd decided to follow her father and go into law. 

In 1923, Kidd was called to the Faculty of Advocates and became the first female with the right to plead in the Court of Session, the highest civil court in Scotland. The event attracted great interest from members of the faculty and the legal profession, as well as the media. The Scotsman newspaper, as was typical of press coverage of women in the news, took special interest in Margaret’s outfit, reporting that she wore a ‘coat frock of black crepe morocain, a soft white collar with a narrow white bow tie, and a straw hat trimmed with velvet.’ Later in the day she donned the wig and gown as she formally entered her new role.

Between 1923 and 1948 she remained the only lady advocate. Kidd was the first lady advocate to appear before the House of Lords and before a parliamentary select committee. Kidd also had the distinction of becoming the first woman KC in Britain, preceding Helena Normanton and Rose Helibron who were appointed KC in England and Wales in 1949.

While Kidd appears to have downplayed the significance of her role and career in interviews – “I don’t know what they made all the fuss about” - it is clear that others, including her alma mater, were aware of and followed her progress. In the University of Edinburgh’s records of graduations, Kidd’s entry includes several newspaper clippings tracking parts of her career and life.

In 1930 Margaret married Donald Somerled MacDonald in Carriden Parish Church. Donald was a Writer to the Signet and member of the firm Scott and Glover, Hill Street, Edinburgh. . The couple went on to have one daughter, Anne.

During the Second World War, Margaret played a prominent part in organising Christmas treats and functions for the wives and dependants of men serving with the 14th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, and particularly the 39th Battery, of which her brother Col. J. T. Kidd was then in command.

Margaret’s professional life also led her to sit on the committee of Representatives of Poor Persons in Scotland as a referee under the Widows and Orphans and Old Age Contributions Pensions Act, and to undertake the Assistantship in the class of Public Law at Edinburgh University.

Margaret Kidd spent much of her life in India Street, Edinburgh. Donald had died in 1957, leaving Margaret a widow for over 30 years until her death on 22 March 1989 in Cambridge. A funeral service was held at the Canongate Kirk, Edinburgh. A eulogy by Lord Hope of Craighead echoed what had been printed about her 41 years earlier by the Scotsman:

‘Her success was won by strength of character, courage and integrity and is a mark of her true qualities that, despite what might seem to be the revolutionary nature of her achievements, she always held the affection and respect of others.’ 

[hamaripahchanngokanika]

"Empowering Women in India: Challenges, Initiatives, and Solutions" - by Kanika

"Empowering Women in India: Challenges, Initiatives, and Solutions" - by Kanika

**India and the World**

The world is divided between developed and developing countries, and India, as a developing country, has a history of colonialism until gaining independence in 1947. Since then, there has been significant progress in gender trends, but it's not comparable to the advancements made in human rights, gender issues, liberty, and equality by developed nations. They are far ahead of India in these areas, and to achieve similar levels of progress, India needs to work diligently on these issues. In developed nations, women are relatively empowered due to their access to basic rights, whereas in India, women do not have the same access to these fundamental rights. "Women in India suffer significantly." This sentiment is echoed in the words of Baba Saheb Ambedkar, who said, "I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved, and the condition of women in India is dire."

**The Challenges Faced by Women in India**

1. **Female Foeticide and Gender Bias:** In India, the preference for male offspring persists from rural to urban areas and across all socioeconomic levels. Female foeticide is alarmingly common, stemming from the societal belief that a male child is more valuable. This cultural bias leads to the termination of female foetuses or the tragic killing of female infants soon after birth. Economic burdens, particularly related to education and marriage, fuel this mindset, as marrying outside one's caste is often perceived as a threat to family status.

2. **Societal Expectations and Sacrifices:** Indian society conditions women from a young age to be sacrificial and tolerant. Girls often sacrifice their education for household chores and caring for siblings. Even in educated households, the burden of domestic responsibilities is placed upon girls. This ingrained notion mandates that girls manage household chores before attending school, perpetuating the idea that these responsibilities primarily belong to females.

3. **Nutritional Challenges:** A significant portion of women in India lacks access to proper nutrition. The UN Women's recent report highlights that over 70% of women in India suffer from undernourishment, leading to health complications. Malnutrition affects their ability to study, engage in activities, and, in severe cases, results in early mortality. Poverty-stricken families, especially those discouraging female education, exacerbate this cycle of deprivation, leading to a lack of education, unemployment, inadequate nutrition, and ultimately, a lack of support for future generations of women.

4. **Limited Education Access:** When deprived of education, women lack awareness of their rights and suffer in arranged marriages, often regardless of the groom's age or suitability.

5. **Restricted Professional Lives:** Early marriages hinder women from pursuing professional careers. Their societal obligation to bear children significantly limits their professional growth and personal aspirations.

6. **Victims of Violence:** Women often endure physical and mental abuse from husbands and in-laws, adding to their already challenging lives.

7. **Menstrual Hygiene Concerns:** Menstrual hygiene remains a significantly under-discussed issue. Poor women, lacking access to sanitary pads, resort to unhygienic alternatives like cloth, risking infections. This lack of proper hygiene hampers their education and participation in society.

**Empowerment of Women**

1. **Education as Empowerment:** Education serves as a fundamental right rather than a privilege. It empowers women, altering societal mindsets and providing them with opportunities.

2. **Encouraging Love Marriages:** Encouraging love marriages over arranged unions grants women autonomy and a voice in their marital future, reducing the perception of being treated as property after marriage.

3. **Involvement in Extracurricular Activities:** Encouraging girls' participation in extracurricular and sports activities promotes physical fitness and broader skill development.

**Government Initiatives for Empowerment**

1. **Women's Reservation Bill:** The introduction of a 33% reservation for women in legislative bodies ensures women's voices in policy-making, addressing women-centric issues effectively.

2. **Free Services:** Free bus services, like those provided by the Delhi government, ensure greater female presence in public spaces, enhancing safety.

3. **Free Education and Nutritional Support:** Free education and mid-day meals fulfill educational and nutritional needs, particularly for underprivileged girls.

4. **Self-Defense Training:** Implementing self-defense training in educational institutions and across various platforms prepares women to handle diverse circumstances confidently.

5. **Ujjwala Yojana:** Providing LPG cylinders to households, primarily benefiting women who face health issues while cooking on traditional stoves.

6. **Access to Menstrual Hygiene Products:** Mandating the provision of free sanitary pads to all women, regardless of economic status, can greatly impact their health and participation in various activities.

7. **Job and Educational Reservations:** Instituting reservations for women in jobs and educational institutions could significantly contribute to their empowerment.

NGOs like "Hamari Pahchan" actively work to empower women through initiatives such as providing sanitary pads, education, legal aid, and imparting entrepreneurial skills, aiming for women's financial independence. This organization was founded post the Nirbhaya incident, dedicated to making public spaces safer for women.

[hiremaid-verifiedhelpers]

Toilet: A luxury For Some

That Toilet is a basic need is something we do not realize since all our homes have not one, but many toilets. But, the importance of toilets was brought home to me when I started Helper4U. When we rented out our first office space, we were on a shoestring budget, and thus had a space constraint. To tide over this, we encouraged girls among our staff to work from home if possible. But, we were amazed to find that they all preferred working from the office rather than from home, even if it meant they could earn more and could also work flexi-time. This was quite surprising because as working women most of us would jump at the opportunity to work flexi-time, not travel, spend more time at home, and still earn more.

Having a Toilet: A luxury for some

On doing some simple research it turned out that the simple reason for this was the absence of a toilet at their homes. All these girls were from slums nearby. They had to use a communal toilet, which was always very dirty, and had no water supply most of the time. Even if all else was well, they had to wait in a queue to use it. That was the first time we realized the impact a toilet can have on people’s lives. Hence we say: Toilet Ek Jaroorat (Toilet is a basic need)

For millions of women, therefore, having a toilet means becoming free: A toilet can be Freedom For Her from so many things. Even for men from slums, it is a luxury. Many drivers come early to work so that they can use the cleaner, and more accessible toilets in the buildings of their employers. This is in stark contrast to the dirty ones in their slums. We, the more blessed ones (with at least one toilet at home) cannot even imagine how not having a toilet can impact the whole life of people, right from what they eat, when they eat, and how they ”go”.

This is not the situation in India alone. Globally, millions still suffer the fear and indignity of relieving themselves in the open or in unsafe or unhygienic conditions — a situation that is most dangerous for girls and women. For more than 1.1 billion women and girls globally, a lack of toilets results in an increased risk of poor health, limited education, harassment, and even attack. WaterAid’s third annual report reveals that women and girls bear the brunt of the Global Sanitation Crisis. Not having access to a toilet puts girls at risk of harassment and attack when finding somewhere to relieve themselves or manage menstruation. Lack of a decent toilet at schools is also a reason for many girls to miss or drop out of school.

How important toilets are for girls can be also gauged from the happy faces of these females posing next to a toilet. Would any of us ever think of posing next to a toilet, leave alone smiling away too?

Some interesting facts about toilets

India tops the list for the longest line for the toilet. While there has been immense progress in improving access to sanitation through the Swachh Bharat (Clean India) Mission, there are still more than 355 million women and girls in India waiting for access to basic sanitation. If they would make a line, it would stretch around the earth more than four times.

Around 289,000 children under five die every year from diarrhea related diseases caused by poor water and sanitation. That’s almost 800 children a day, or one child every two minutes.

Between 2000 and 2015, people defecating in the open dropped from 1.2 billion globally. (20% of the global population) to 892 million (12%). Still enough waste is produced in the open to fill seven bathtubs every second.

This World Toilet Day, on November 19, governments are pledging to do their bit. But, how can we homeowners support this basic human right?

One simple suggestion for all homeowners

Allow your domestic Helpers to use your toilets if they need to go. Rather than send them to the road or bushes nearby, allow them to use your toilets. After all, once flushed, the waste goes through the same process, irrespective of who generated it. Similarly, if someone defecates in the open. And in many of our homes, they are the ones cleaning it. And who knows, they may already be using it in your absence. So, allow them to use it, and feel the joy of giving.

We are all prone to diseases, again, irrespective of who generated it, and where. So prevent it the most you can. A simple gesture at your end will help keep the surroundings in our cities clean.

Allow Helpers to Use Your Toilet. Discourage the use of open spaces that are open defecation.

Remember: Having a toilet is a human rights issue. Everyone has a right to health and dignity. Let us pledge to contribute to it the best we can.

[bollywoodirect]

India is a country of immense diversity and culture, and it's important to have icons that reflect the society we live in. #ShahrukhKhan, also known as the "King of Bollywood," has become such an icon for India.

He has been entertaining audiences for decades, and his contributions to Indian cinema go beyond the big screen, as he has become a symbol of Indian culture and entertainment worldwide.

Not only has he inspired generations with his performances, which have spanned a wide range of genres, but he has also made a significant impact in the Indian business world with his ventures. He is also a strong advocate for social causes, using his platform to raise awareness on issues such as child welfare, education, and women's rights.

As a Muslim actor, Shahrukh Khan has broken stereotypes and shown that anyone can make it in the entertainment industry. He has been a trailblazer for representation and diversity in Indian cinema, paving the way for other actors from diverse backgrounds to follow in his footsteps.

In short, India needs cultural icons like Shahrukh Khan because he represents hope, inspiration, and progress for the country. He has become a role model for many and continues to inspire people through his movies, business ventures, and charitable work. His contributions to Indian cinema and culture have been invaluable.

[the-lady-writes-what]

Warning: Long essay below the cut

Real talk about Harry Potter for a second. As a millennial who was into HP when I was younger, I have to honest and say that I did not see the problematic shit the J.K. Rowling put in her books. For a lot of us, growing up as a white kid in the early 2000's, we were not educated enough to see the anti-Semitism, racism, and lukewarm feminism that wasn't really feminism because Rowling made fun of Hermione for it. Watching the spiral of Rowling into TERF territory and aligning herself with people who reference Hitler in their TERF speeches and literal fascism breaks my heart. HP played a huge part in my childhood, as it did for many people. Sadly there are HP adults who continue to enable Rowling to use her platform for evil. Instead of looking back and dissecting the literature that formed our current mindset, there are people who grew up to be nasty people indirectly because HP taught them that anyone who complains about the system is doing progressive social justice wrong. Harry Potter became a wizard cop for the system that helped put Voldemort in a position of power. Hitler didn't rise to power out of the blue. He worked the current system in his favor and won support. He wasn't just some manipulative well spoken mastermind, he was using rhetoric that already existed. The criticism about the politics in the HP universe came far too late. We currently have numerous adults who are now currently voting to repress Black and queer history from schools, LGBTQ+ education, and criminalize being trans and gay in several states in the USA.

Not every adult who read HP became a fascist, not every adult who is fascist read HP. I'm certainly not saying that HP is solely the reason why anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes are currently on the rise again and legislations are trying to get passed. What I am saying is that this is what happens when you don't think critically what you read. Critical analysis about what books are produced and by whom can help deter or enable the kind of ideas that Rowling associates with. Her brand of "progressiveness" is seen through the lens of an upper middle class and upper class white British woman. She largely benefits from a system that will come to be the shoulder for her to cry on when the internet "bullies" her, i.e when the internet and former fans try to hold her accountable for the inflammatory things she's said and written about trans people, women, Jews, POC, etc. I am not a saint in all of this either. My first book that I wrote which will never see the light of day again contained an Indian servant because I thought about historical "accuracy" which looking on it now was a load of shit. What I should have done in the first place was do critical research and properly acknowledge the racism and discrimination and imperialism of the British Empire. That character should not have existed and I deeply regret writing a story like that, even if my intention was not to further enable a white-washed history of the relationship between the British aristocracy and the people of India. Whether it was my intention or not, the fact that I wrote it was not okay. I am sorry for that. That book is no longer available and the remaining physical copies will stay with me. They aren't going anywhere. Moving forward, I will do better research and listen to the voices of people of color when it comes to writing characters outside of my own race.

Rowling has yet to learn that lesson towards trans people and keeps using the debunked conspiracy theory that "men dressed as women" will sexually assault someone in the ladies' room and take up female-dominated spaces. Transwomen are women. End of story. It seems that the more she is criticized for upholding anti-trans beliefs and conspiracy theories, the deeper she digs her heels in. She doesn't want to be corrected or told she's misinformed. The die hard fans of hers follow suit. Adult fans of HP have gone to assault and abuse transwomen, forgetting the soft-spoken message of the books they claim to love so much, that you should not hate people for who they are. I say soft-spoken because HP's message of anti-bigotry can hardly be called as such. It is spoken through the lens of upper class wealthy white woman's perspective of social justice and feminism. I say soft-spoken, and even limp-wristed, because its anti-bigotry message falls flat when discussing the numerous problematic and racist undertones in her writing. She wrote house elves as sentient creatures who want to be enslaved and made fun of Hermione for fighting for their freedom. She wrote the main characters to be all straight, white, and cis who later become part of the very system they fought against as children. The magical races in the Wizarding World universe are frequently looked down upon as if they're lesser than the human wizards and nothing is done for them. She did little to no research on non-European naming conventions and named the one East Asian character Cho Chang, combining a Korean and Chinese name as if the cultures are synonymous, named a black character Kingsley Shacklebolt, and allowed the Fantastic Beast franchise make Nagini (a South Asian name with cultural and religious significance) an Indonesian woman played by a South Korean actress. As if insult wasn't enough, Nagini is portrayed as a submissive Asian woman (stay classy Rowling!) who later dies at the hands of a white character to move the plot forward.

I wrote this fucking essay because Rowling is hurting so many people. Her kind of rhetoric which is a pandemic of hate towards trans people is hurting those I know. Two of my dearest friends are transwomen and I would fight tooth and nail for them. Hearing the author who wrote the books that got me interested in reading say things that accuse my friends of being men and wanting to assault women hurts them more than me and it infuriates me. She is one of the many reasons why diversity in reading is important so her mistakes don't get repeated and regurgitated. When you're a dumb white kid in the 2000's, you don't see the problematic stuff because you're not personally affected by it. Nobody can be racist against a white kid. And when authors like Rowling get praised in spite of the insensitive stereotypes and problematic shit in their books, it really is no wonder that we have a resurgence of hate crimes and rhetoric against LGBTQ+ folk and POC. The books didn't materialize out of thin air. There were so many editors who have had to go through the books and said, "Yep. That's fine" when she was writing offensive names for POC characters, anti-Semitic goblins, and having the white main characters join the system that put wizard Hitler into power.

It hurts to let something like HP go and die a slow painful death. It was a huge part of my childhood and got me into reading books. I might not be the reader I am today without those books. Because I will never be affected by the system in which people of color, trans folk, and the Jewish community are oppressed and I admit to being very privileged, I did not recognize the numerous red flags in J.K. Rowling's body of work until it was too late. For that I am sorry. The damage is done, but I'm trying to do better by listening and protecting my friends, trans or otherwise. J. K. Rowling can go fuck herself.