Money and Sexuality

The Editorial: Money and Sexuality
A woman stands infront of a car

Aspects of sexuality such as aesthetic taste, body image, sexual orientation, desires and aspirations, self-esteem, gender expression, reproductive choices, and more, are all interdependent with the impact of money in our lives and that of those around us. Indeed, our systemic relationship with money has a direct influence on how we ‘value’ ourselves.

By TARSHI
May 15, 2017
The Editorial: Money and Sexuality
Cashless and Stranded in Budhwar Peth: How the 2016 Demonetisation Affected Sex Workers
A photo of a man holding the old Rs.1000 and Rs.500 notes,

The disruptions in sex work due to demonetisation were not merely about the cash crunch though. Probing deeper, the real problems were to do with a breakdown in the rituals of soliciting, and what it meant behaviourally for the women.

By Sutapa Majumdar and Rohini Sahni
May 15, 2017
Cashless and Stranded in Budhwar Peth: How the 2016 Demonetisation Affected Sex Workers
A Critical Analysis Of The Surrogacy Regulation Bill 2016
A photo with a background of a baby's feet photograph, featuring three stick/ symbolic figures of a male, female and a female figure i.e. pregnant

The bill exhibits a lack of understanding of agency which ought to be given to a woman; that a woman should be able to make decisions when the question is with regard to her body. There is no need for the State to be the Big Brother.

By Curated Content
May 15, 2017
A Critical Analysis Of The Surrogacy Regulation Bill 2016
The Learning Curve on Desire, Desirability, and Financial Access
A photograph of a city street. (Haus Khas Village Lane)

From my experience of being at the receiving end of this snap judgment of desirability, and seeing what a loss it is of getting to know people as persons instead of cardboard images, I realise how unjust this approach is towards seeking companions (which doesn’t necessarily mean romantic partners). This is not how I would want to be seen. I have been missing out on a lot of sexual, emotional and intellectual stimulation by reducing a person’s attractiveness to these notions.

By Bhanu Priya
May 15, 2017
The Learning Curve on Desire, Desirability, and Financial Access
क्या ‘धंधा’ (यौनकर्म) भी काम होता है? – भाग II
A photograph of a group pf women wearing sarees and speaking on the stage.

सम्पादकीय नोट : इस लेख का पहला भाग अप्रैल के पहले संस्करण में प्रकाशित हुआ था सेक्स वर्कर के अधिकारों…

By Meena Saraswathi Seshu and Aarthi Pai
May 15, 2017
क्या ‘धंधा’ (यौनकर्म) भी काम होता है? – भाग II
Brushstrokes: Growing Up Matrilineally in Meghalaya
A photograph of a woman from Meghalaya, smiling and working in the field. She's wearing a pink and red saree

When patriarchy, patrilineality and patrilocality are the norm in most societies, those communities that do things differently tend to stand out, and the liberties afforded by this difference shape its people, as the photographers of these two series of portraits capture.

By Curated Content
May 15, 2017
Brushstrokes: Growing Up Matrilineally in Meghalaya
From Village to City: ‘Housemaids’ and their Sexual Desires
A photograph of a woman wearing a green saree cleaning the balcony with a broom.

A few days ago, my cousin saw Anita masturbating while going to sleep. And while having a discussion around this, I realised how, even after its being noticed, nobody wanted to talk about finding ways to discuss it with her in a pleasure-affirming manner.

By Medha Kalsi
May 15, 2017
From Village to City: ‘Housemaids’ and their Sexual Desires
Interview: Varsha Kale on the Dance Bar Girls’ Movement in Maharashtra
president of the Bharatiya Bar Girls Union (BBGU), Varsha Kale,

We interviewed the honorary president of the Bharatiya Bar Girls Union (BBGU), Varsha Kale, on the occasion of dance bars reopening in Maharashtra after being banned for 11 years by the state government.

By Shaifali Agrawal
May 15, 2017
Interview: Varsha Kale on the Dance Bar Girls’ Movement in Maharashtra
Dancing With the Wolves: A Peek Into the Life of Bihar’s Anaarkali of Ara
A photograph of a group of men sitting, where some of them are wearing a red cloth turban.

In rural Bihar, a wedding is incomplete without women dancers swinging to saucy Bhojpuri songs in front of a male audience. HT attends an all-night performance and follows a dancer to see what lies behind the grind and glamour.

By Curated Content
May 15, 2017
Dancing With the Wolves: A Peek Into the Life of Bihar’s Anaarkali of Ara
How Pakistani and Indian Women in Three Countries Confront Marital Economic Abuse
A zoomed in photograph of a couple holding hands during the marriage ceremony taking place. Both of them are wearing henna on their hands. The girl is wearing a set of bangles.

From not being allowed to work to having their earnings exploited, many women confront economic abuse, a recognised form of domestic abuse.

By Curated Content
May 15, 2017
How Pakistani and Indian Women in Three Countries Confront Marital Economic Abuse
Issue in Focus: Money, Money, Money – Must be Funny
A photograph of Kaathala Kaathala , where the man wearing a heavily dressed head gearis trying to grope a woman from behond, while the woman is trying to get rid of his hold. She is also dressed in saree and a heavy head gear. Screen reader support enabled. A photograph of Kaathala Kaathala , where the man wearing a heavily dressed head gearis trying to grope a woman from behond, while the woman is trying to get rid of his hold. She is also dressed in saree and a heavy head gear.

A few days ago, we were doing a self-reflective exercise at work on what gives us power, how we demonstrate power, and what (or who) has power over us. Surprisingly, but not much, I found money featuring across the board for me: be it through financial independence or financial constraints. Power, as exercised by me or as exercised over me, has been intricately tied with my sexuality – ranging from job options to travel decisions to reproductive choices – and money seemed to lord over it all. It wasn’t the only lord, but it was quite a powerful lord.

By Vani Viswanathan
May 1, 2017
Issue in Focus: Money, Money, Money – Must be Funny
Review: Offers You Can’t Refuse
A photo of actors, Rekha and Om Puri from the movie, Aastha: In the Prison of Spring

For many of us careening to adulthood at the time, these films pushed us to confront our own biases. They asked us to stand in Diane and Mansi’s shoes and ask ourselves, what would we have done? Would we spend one night with a man (Robert Redford, no less) for a million dollars? Would we be able to resist the option that opened up to Mansi? And the truth of it was that this was a difficult question to answer.

By Manjima Bhattacharjya
May 1, 2017
Review: Offers You Can’t Refuse
Video Page: Can Money Buy This Common Man a Decent Haircut?
A still from the video, where the man is looking at a woman sneakily .

Take the befuddled protagonist of this insightful short film. In an attempt to pamper himself for a special occasion, he decides to enter the precincts of an upscale salon. See what happens next.

By Curated Content
May 1, 2017
Video Page: Can Money Buy This Common Man a Decent Haircut?
प्रजनन प्रौद्योगिकी – एक नारीवादी विश्लेषण
Its a back and white photo of a pregnant woman holding her belly. It also shows a vague outlne of the foetus.

रुपसा मल्लिक द्वारा लिखित सोमिंदर कुमार द्वारा अनुवादित पिछले दो दशकों से प्रजनन प्रौद्योगिकी (रिप्रोडक्टिव टेक्नोलॉजी आरटी)[1] का उपयोग आम…

By Rupsa Mallik
May 1, 2017
प्रजनन प्रौद्योगिकी – एक नारीवादी विश्लेषण
Does Sex Equal Grape? How Sexuality Relates to Money
A picture featuring a candid click of a man passing a street which has a number of women standing on the road.

As soon as you add sexuality to a piece about money, the first instinct generally is to reduce it all to sex, leaving the “-uality” like a little invisible tail feather that flutters away into the unknown.

By Shikha Aleya
May 1, 2017
Does Sex Equal Grape? How Sexuality Relates to Money
1 2