Sexual Violence

Consent and violation
A drop of water falls on a water body. A silhoutted figure in black-and-white is seen in the background.

I was in standard 9th. She was our new Political Science teacher. Our entire class adored her; after all, she…

By Guest Writer
February 15, 2014
Consent and violation
Sexual and Reproductive Rights of Women with Disabilities: The Long Road Ahead
A picture of scales against a white background

Motherhood is hallowed concept in Indian society – folklore and stories of branding women who do not bear a child…

By Shampa Sengupta
August 1, 2014
Sexual and Reproductive Rights of Women with Disabilities: The Long Road Ahead
On Mental Health and Being a Transman
On Mental Health and Being a Transman

I did everything to change my gender expression from masculine to feminine. I started wearing feminine clothes, started growing my hair, and I even had a boyfriend. But the more I pushed myself to be feminine, the more depressed I became.

By Jamal Siddiqui
February 3, 2017
On Mental Health and Being a Transman
Yellow Light
Abuse in Marriage, women waiting

Invitation cards had been printed. Her parents wanted to get the best of everything for her. She knew that all this generosity came more out of them trying to put up appearances than out of their love for her. Instead of trying to make sense of it all, or to reason with them, she was told to just enjoy this special life event. Once the whole family had arrived, all of her father’s financial worries and her mother’s emotional ones got drowned in the festivities that took place each night. The bright strings of lights flickered all around the house, announcing the upcoming marriage to the world.

By Surbhi Dewan
March 15, 2017
Yellow Light
How We Can Make Our Cities Safer Using Crowdsourced Data
The photo shows a red hand trying to shut the mouth of a woman. There’s a caption on the photo saying sexual harassment is a crime and a yellow caption in between says, break the silence.

Sexual violence is a global pandemic affecting one in three women at least once in their lifetime. The statistics in India are equally shocking. National Crime Records Bureau statistics of 2014 indicate that a rape occurs every 20 minutes in India.

By Elsa Marie D'Silva
June 1, 2017
How We Can Make Our Cities Safer Using Crowdsourced Data
Sudha ji’s Love Story
A black-and-white picture of an old woman who is staring directly into the camera.

Sudha ji’s indomitable spirit made me question if I was settling down for too little, if there was more that I should ask for, and if there is more that I deserve.

By Chandrabarna Saha
April 16, 2018
Sudha ji’s Love Story
Trigger Warnings and the Subversive Potential of Uncomfortable Conversations
against a red background, the white text reads "warning, do not read this sign"

Giving a trigger warning helps to somewhat flatten that hierarchy by making sure the audience is okay with the content. It can also shift power to the audience who may now decide what they would like to do with that information – to stay put and listen, or to walk out.

By Arpita Das
July 2, 2018
Trigger Warnings and the Subversive Potential of Uncomfortable Conversations
How #MeToo Revealed the Central Rift Within Feminism Today
a collage of black and white photos of women smeared in red paint who seem to be screaming metoo

In the media and in private life, conversations about consent, hostile environments and power began, and there was a growing acknowledgment that a man’s unwanted sexual overtures were a symptom of broader social and political forces.

By Curated Content
July 16, 2018
How #MeToo Revealed the Central Rift Within Feminism Today
What History And Fiction Teach Us About Women And Power
women and power

This article was originally published in the NPR. January 8, 2018; TANIA LOMBROZO Two recent books, one a manifesto by British…

By Curated Content
July 16, 2018
What History And Fiction Teach Us About Women And Power
Why We Don’t Get Consent
Illustration of a woman dressed in black, holding her hand up in a gesture of protest

But here is the thing. In heterosexual relationships, how are women and men going to learn to see women’s desires if the world does not see them? If the world is shaped to conform to a certain type of man’s desires only? Where is consent without a diversity of desires and a galaxy of desirability?

By Curated Content
November 15, 2018
Why We Don’t Get Consent
Brushstrokes: Risky Date
Against a grey background, little thought bubbles that talk about poential risks one can encounter on a blind date

First dates can be a source of both excitement and anxiety – the possibility of finding a connection someone new is endlessly exhilarating, but the uncertainty around what to expect can be unnerving

By Curated Content
March 5, 2019
Brushstrokes: Risky Date
Review: Unbelievable
a still from unbelievable

I believe that such mini-series as “Unbelievable” will help people have a better understanding of what women go through when they experience a horrific incident like rape or sexual assault.

By Elsa Marie D'Silva
October 15, 2019
Review: Unbelievable
Why We Still Need Campaigns Like The 16 Days of Activism
poster for the 16 days of activism campaign

Every year we participate in an international campaign known as “The 16 Days Campaign” which runs from 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to 10 December (Human Rights Day). It is an organising strategy by individuals and organisations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.

By Elsa Marie D'Silva
December 2, 2019
Why We Still Need Campaigns Like The 16 Days of Activism
How Not To Talk About ‘Women’s Safety’ In Public Spaces
Image of a woman being "watched" by eyes that symbolise societal moral policing

The only thing this language achieves (and maybe it is also the goal), is to create enough panic so that women themselves police and restrict their own mobility and whereabouts, and keep themselves away from public spaces whenever possible.

By Curated Content
April 15, 2020
How Not To Talk About ‘Women’s Safety’ In Public Spaces
Title: Movie Review: Seeing Allred – The fight for equality goes on
A poster of Netflix’s documentary film ‘Seeing Allred’

Allred’s story is important because it shows us how an individual used her knowledge, power, and position to challenge the legal system in demanding rights and equality, especially for women and LGBTQ+ people.

By Elsa Marie D'Silva
September 1, 2020
Title: Movie Review: Seeing Allred – The fight for equality goes on
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