IndiaUnheard Blog
Restrictions on women’s mobility
"Girls have a lot of restrictions on them. Boys don't have any restrictions. Also, boys say bad things when they see a girl by herself."
Let’s give up the veil, so that we can breathe
“I want to be able to go out and work too. Purdah and other such practices should end”, says a woman who has been forced to don the veil in her marital home poignantly. “Why is it that men are not forced to wear the veil our?” asks our Community...
Veiling Should be a Choice not a Compulsion
The image that comes to mind when we think of the veil is that of a Muslim woman in a burqua, whereas, the practice of veiling or ‘purdah’ (literally curtain) as it is known in South Asia, is not limited to any one religion. It is not simply a...
Period : That which must not be named
Daksha’s first period was a happy one –a small ceremony with special offerings was done at the temple, at home, she was given sweets to eat and was told to rest. “At the time, I thought I might have done something good, having my periods!” recalls Daksha. But from the...
Challenging a 400 year old custom that denied women temple entry
From Hinduism to Judaism to Christianity to Islam, religious restrictions surrounding menstruation and the belief that it makes women’s bodies impure are common across the board. While the judiciary has upheld women’s right to equality in cases of Shani Shingnapur, Haji Ali and Sabarimala, where women were denied entry to...
Silence, Shame and Stigma around Menstruation
The first period can be scary and confusing. But coupled with deep-seated taboos around menstrual impurity, it can become a harrowing experience. Four women of different ages from rural Uttar Pradesh share their experiences of menstruation and the stigma. These experiences surprisingly are very similar to the ones shared by...
7 widows from one village still don’t receive their pensions
Seven widows, all hailing from a village in Jharkhand called Kanke, have not received their Widow Pension for years. Despite representations to the Block Development Officer in charge of their village. Hear Sameda Khatun’s sad story. She was widowed at the young age of 32 in 2003. Fortunately her son...
Is creating a culture of accountability in Kashmir, a problem? Khurram Parvez asks the Govt
Khurram Parvez is a noted Kashmiri Human Rights activist. He has led organisations like Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) and Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) to take strong stands on the police and army brutality in Kashmir. On September 15 Khurram was detained at Delhi airport...