Women and Sexuality

The Editorial: Women and Sexuality
Painting of women - some playing Holi, some dancing, some carrying pitchers of water on their head, others watering tulsi, and other two conversing.
The Editorial: Women and Sexuality

What does it mean to be a woman? Are you born one, or as Simone De Beauvoir writes in The…
By TARSHI
March 16, 2015
The Editorial: Women and Sexuality
India’s Daughter: When Men Come Together, But Women Stand Divided
Poster of a documentary. On a black background is written, "India's Daughter - The Story of Jyoti Singh", with "Daughter" in red and everything else in white. The tittle of two i's in IndIa are flames, making the I's look like candles.
India’s Daughter: When Men Come Together, But Women Stand Divided

Two weeks before India’s Daughter made it to the headlines, I came across this new pledge for Delhi school kids,…
By Shweta Krishnan
March 16, 2015
India’s Daughter: When Men Come Together, But Women Stand Divided
Voices: Unscripted
A black-and-white photo of a hand resting by an elbow, holding a cigarette. The nails are painted in a dark solid colour.
Voices: Unscripted

She leans over casually, across me, and rummages in her bag for a moment. I push away the spark of…
By Sami S
March 16, 2015
Voices: Unscripted
“Don’t let your foot slip!” : Messages On ‘Appropriate’ Femininity By School Teachers In Mumbai    
Comic panel. A school teacher offering an apple to a girl and a boy student, while both of them look at it skeptically.
“Don’t let your foot slip!” : Messages On ‘Appropriate’ Femininity By School Teachers In Mumbai    

“In Hindi, though there is a word for rape (balaatkaar), it is rarely used by women. Instead they say izzat…
By Juhi Sidharth
March 16, 2015
“Don’t let your foot slip!” : Messages On ‘Appropriate’ Femininity By School Teachers In Mumbai    
Nivedita Menon: On Feminism in the 21st Century
Nivedita Menon, wearing a green turtle-neck sweater, sitting on a chair, smiling.
Nivedita Menon: On Feminism in the 21st Century

Nivedita Menon is a feminist writer and a political and social activist. She is a professor of political thought at…
By Shweta Krishnan
March 16, 2015
Nivedita Menon: On Feminism in the 21st Century
Here’s why I think the society should not obsess over a woman’s virginity
A girl hugging her dog. She is wearing maroon sweatshirt, and the white-coloured dog wears red warm piece of clothing.
Here’s why I think the society should not obsess over a woman’s virginity

By Indian Home Maker for her personal blog Here’s an article from TOI that I think encourages sexist fallacies. Great…
By Curated Content
March 16, 2015
Here’s why I think the society should not obsess over a woman’s virginity
Male Gaze? What About Some Disco Balls?
Clip from an Axe Effect advertisement. A boy reading in a library, experiencing the "Axe Effect". Two girls are attracted towards him, hugging him from his shoulder. He is wearing blue tee shirt and glasses.
Male Gaze? What About Some Disco Balls?

I recently attended a talk titled ‘Streeshakti’ at the Jaipur Literature Festival. One of the speakers Lata Sharma, a Rajasthani…
By Japleen Pasricha
March 1, 2015
Male Gaze? What About Some Disco Balls?
Brushstrokes: Seeing Through The Bold Strokes of Amrita Sher-Gil
Painting of women sitting on the ground cross legged. One is rubbing the back of another. They are all looking solemn.
Brushstrokes: Seeing Through The Bold Strokes of Amrita Sher-Gil

[slideshow_deploy id=’5490′] To some Amrita Sher-Gil is the ‘Indian Frida Kahlo’. This month we feature five of her paintings which show women…
By Curated Content
March 1, 2015
Brushstrokes: Seeing Through The Bold Strokes of Amrita Sher-Gil
Ruth Vanita: On Literature, Sexuality and the Pleasure of “Playing In The World”
Ruth Vanita standing with her arms crossed. She is wearing a blue saree, a red bindi, watch on one hand, and golden bangle on another.
Ruth Vanita: On Literature, Sexuality and the Pleasure of “Playing In The World”

Ruth Vanita is an academic, activist and author, who specialises in gender studies, lesbian and gay studies and South Asian…
By Shweta Krishnan
March 1, 2015
Ruth Vanita: On Literature, Sexuality and the Pleasure of “Playing In The World”
Hunting and Devouring Erotica
Book cover. Painting of the back of a woman, naked. Over it is written in blue and cursive, "blue". Below it in white, "the tranquebar book of erotic stories from Sri Lanka".
Hunting and Devouring Erotica

When I was working on finalising my dissertation topic during my Masters, I was quite apprehensive about what I would…
By Deepa Ranganathan
March 1, 2015
Hunting and Devouring Erotica
Issue in Focus: Women’s Sexuality is a Troubling Thing
Painting of a face with no emotions. It has brown skin, black hair, the background colour is red.
Issue in Focus: Women’s Sexuality is a Troubling Thing

… and the Award goes to… … Vasilyev’s wife … … for having birthed the maximum number of children. I…
By Shikha Aleya
March 1, 2015
Issue in Focus: Women’s Sexuality is a Troubling Thing
“अपना पैर न फिसलने देना!”- उपयुक्त स्त्रित्व पर मुम्बई के शिक्षकों का संदेश
Children going to or returning from school. The focus is on four girls in grey and white school uniforms, wearing two braided plaits, and school bags on their shoulders, walking with their backs to us.
“अपना पैर न फिसलने देना!”- उपयुक्त स्त्रित्व पर मुम्बई के शिक्षकों का संदेश

“हालांकि हिन्दी में रेप के लिए शब्द है (बलात्कार) फिर भी महिलाओं द्वारा इसका प्रयोग कदाचित ही होता है। इसके…
By Juhi Sidharth
March 1, 2015
“अपना पैर न फिसलने देना!”- उपयुक्त स्त्रित्व पर मुम्बई के शिक्षकों का संदेश
Nivedita Menon: On Feminism and Feminist Conundrums
Nivedita Menon speaking into a mike of Constitution Club at a gathering. She is wearing a green kurta, and earring. She and others are sititng on ground cross-legged.
Nivedita Menon: On Feminism and Feminist Conundrums

Nivedita Menon is a feminist writer and a political and social activist. She is a professor of political thought at…
By Shweta Krishnan
March 1, 2015
Nivedita Menon: On Feminism and Feminist Conundrums
Video Page: Astitva
Video Page: Astitva
March 1, 2015
Video Page: Astitva
Writing Erotic Poetry
nk pen sitting on a paper. The paper is filled with cursive handwriting in blue.
Writing Erotic Poetry

My discovery of erotic poems was, as they put it, ‘by chance’. A friend of mine had suggested a book…
By Aindrila Chaudhuri
March 1, 2015
Writing Erotic Poetry