‘Raids Meant To Scare Us Into Leaving, Clear Kamathipura For Redevelopment’: Sex Workers
Mumbai’s historic red light district sits in a premium locality and the sex workers who live and work here have no documents to establish ownership of property
Mumbai’s historic red light district sits in a premium locality and the sex workers who live and work here have no documents to establish ownership of property
BehanVox: An ASHA Worker Tells Us What Care And Community Mean To Her
This week in BehanVox: a data-driven analysis of India’s One Stop Centres, mapping Delhi through the lens Dalit-Bahujan queer individuals, and more
Data On Violence – What It Tells Us And How It Can Be Used Effectively
One Stop Centres for victim-survivors of gender violence can use their own data to strengthen response services
‘Our Work Went From Local to Global – That Is ASHA Workers’ Biggest Milestone’
Netradipa, an ASHA worker and union leader from Kolhapur, Maharashtra, recalls stories of how she has gone beyond the call of duty and become a friendly face of a distant health system
BehanVox: Where Is The Money For Heat Action?
This week in BehanVox: a natural farming initiative in Andhra Pradesh, Kolkata rape case, India’s own manosphere, and more
Women Like Bhanumati Are Powering Andhra’s Natural Farming Model
Amid chronic drought, debt, and landlessness, women in Anantapur are using natural farming to reshape agriculture, economies, and gender roles – but face mounting challenges.
Why India’s Heat Plans And Funding Must Go Beyond Crisis Response
Despite rising temperatures, India’s fragmented approach to heat financing leaves informal workers vulnerable and solutions stuck in reactive mode. We spoke to experts to understand the politics and possibilities of a streamlined framework
BehanVox: A Brief History Of Who Governs India’s Forests
This week in BehanVox: stories of women agri entrepreneurs cultivating forest foods in Tamil Nadu, ‘rescue raids’ displace sex workers in Mumbai’s Kamathipura, and more
Postscript: We’re Taking the Historical Route With News Stories. Here’s Why
In Postscript, we reflect on the editorial choices we make and abandon. Plus all things behind the scenes
In Drought-Hit Karur, One Woman Builds A Climate-Resilient Food Forest
As climate change alters agriculture and the lives of people, women like Saroja Kumar lead efforts to craft resilience solutions such as food forests
How India’s Forest Governance Is Increasingly Loaded Against Forest Dwelling Communities
From Uttarakhand to Karnataka, forest officials are violently evicting forest dwelling communities, disregarding their rights to the forests and its resources. The crux of the problem lies in the way India governs its forests
BehanVox: To Find A Hostel Of One’s Own
This week in BehanVox: women in Kochi’s coastal villages contend with tidal flooding, UK parliament votes to decriminalise abortion, and more
Postcards: From a Satyashodhak Ceremony In Nagpur To a Quiet Rebellion In An Iranian Film
This month in Postcards: notes on relishing phalse berries, recipes for sukat chutney and pulusu, Celine Song’s cinema, and more
Mapping Tidal Floods: How Women in Coastal Kochi Villages Are Building Climate Resilience
In the flood-prone coastal villages of Kochi, as rising sea levels threaten homes and livelihoods, women are creating community-driven solutions to the climate emergency that the state is only beginning to acknowledge
Number Of Working Women’s Hostels Declining, Funds Underused, Show Government Data
A deep dive into government hostel schemes reveals a drop in numbers, falling funds, and missed opportunities to support women migrants
BehanVox: The Curious Tale of Central Government’s Intercaste Marriage Scheme
This week in BehanVox: India’s gender gap widens, Umar Khalid writes about hope and captivity from Tihar Jail, and more
Intercaste Marriage Support Scheme, Key To Social Change, Is Floundering
It was an incentive to promote social integration and support intercaste couples who often deal with familial and social opposition. Now the Centre has put a stop to the the scheme
BehanVox: Mallipoo, Mupathu, Mupathu! The Lives of Chennai’s Women Flowersellers
This week in BehanVox: a unique survey from Kerala on gender based violence, the comeback of Tamil singer Chinmayi, and more
Inside The Lives, Labour And Trials Of Chennai’s Women Flowersellers
Hawking flowers at almost every street corner, women are the most visible faces of the flower business in Tamil Nadu. But they occupy the last and least profitable rung of the trade even as they battle precarity, heat, exhaustion and eviction
Lessons From Kudumbashree’s Gender Crime Mapping Survey
In Kerala, the grassroots women’s programme for empowerment and livelihood, Kudumbashree, is mapping gender-based violence at the panchayat level. Despite its methodological limitations, it can help design panchayat level interventions
BehanVox: The Occasional Streaks Of Rebellion Within Women’s Magazines
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter that brings you top stories, gender news from the world, and our team’s reading recommendations. Hello and welcome to BehanVox! Still […]
Postscript: Inside Our ‘Anti-War’ Editorial Discussions
In Postscript, we reflect on the editorial choices we make and abandon. Plus all things behind the scenes
Why TV News Is Getting Away With Irresponsible And Dangerous Conflict Reporting
Television media became disinformation outlets with their alarmist and incorrect reporting on the India-Pakistan escalations. Arbitrary enforcement of laws and ineffective self-regulatory bodies contribute to this crisis of credibility
‘Reading For Pleasure Pauses The March Towards Women’s Productivity’
In BehanBox Talkies, we explore ideas through the lens of scholars. In this installment, we interview researcher and writer Aakriti Mandhwani on women’s identity as readers, past and present
BehanVox: The BluSmart Bubble And the Women Inside It
This week in BehanVox: how nomadic communities are experiencing heat, Ashoka teacher Ali Khan Mahmudabad gets bail, and more
Postcards: From Karl Marx in Dharavi to a Paper Factory in Nepal
This month in Postcards: notes about mangoes (and mango pickles), deadlift parties, Jyoti Hedge’s rudra veena, and more
Marginalised And Neglected, Nomadic Tribes Are At High Risk From Heatwaves
Nomadic tribes are particularly vulnerable to the heat crisis – they are not allowed to access common water sources, live in temporary settlements that trap heat and live mostly off outdoor occupations
Drivers, Many Of Them Women, Bear the Cost of BluSmart’s Collapse
Last month, BluSmart, an all-electric ride hailing service abruptly halted its operations. The company was a unique opportunity for its women drivers but lack of labour rights have left them in a lurch
BehanVox: A Hunger Strike in Thane Reveals the Failings of Forest Rights Act
This week in BehanVox: a long-awaited verdict in the Pollachi sexual assault case, the fall of French cinema legend Gérard Depardieu, and more
Why The Forest Rights Act Does Little For Adivasi Dwellers In Urban Jungles
Our cities were once forests, home to indigenous communities. In 2006, the Forest Rights Act was passed to undo the historic injustices against Adivasi communities but in cities, complex legalities get in the way of their fight for their homes
From Caregivers to Data Workers: The Hidden Burden on Tamil Nadu’s Anganwadi Workers
As beneficiaries become data points on the dashboard, Anganwadi workers in Tamil Nadu grapple with an overload of digital labor, being data collectors building a state’s health repository, and being subjects of surveillance
BehanVox: Where to Find Verified Voices of Peace
This week in BehanVox: heat-related productivity losses, the name and symbol behind Operation ‘Sindoor’, a gender protest against the new Pope, and more
In Estimating Heat-Related Income Loss, Workers Should Be Centred
In just the first 18 days of April, Babita Malik, 40, had taken more than a week off from her job as a safai saathi (dry […]
Forecasting Drought: In Parched Marathwada Villages, Women Are Building Early Warning Systems
A women’s collective has collated a set of traditional indicators for an impending drought. It not only helps them reorganise farming practices but also prepare families for a crisis now intensified by climate change
BehanVox: Who Is Vulnerable to Heat Stress?
This week in BehanVox: Urban Company workers brave the heat, wrestling camps restart in Delhi, the story of Albert Einstein’s cousin, and more
India’s Heat Action Plans Are Missing Caste, Income Vulnerabilities
Groups left vulnerable by income levels, caste, gender, or living conditions are more impacted by heat hazards and it is important that heat action plans pencil this into their strategies
BehanVox: Diving Deep Into Women’s Relationship With Their Bodies and Swimming
This week in BehanVox: stories of Dalit women diligently protecting the mangroves, the Ladki Bahan Yojana controversy, pronatalist conventions, and more
Postscript: Reporting On the Inescapable Future of Work
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter with all things behind the scenes. In 2023, Sayantani Upadhaya, a Kolkata based freelance journalist, had reported for us on […]
Women Who Guard The Tides: Mangrove Conservation In The Absence Of Land Rights
When men migrate for work, it is the women who work to conserve the mangroves of disaster-prone coastal Odisha to protect the fragile ecosystem from erosion. But they have no rights over these mangrove lands
When Women Swim In Joggers, Salwars, Nighties And Abayas
Bodily inhibitions deter a lot of women from learning swimming, an essential life skill and a joyous experience. Why not let them learn in whatever attire they want, asks a new breed of coaches in Kerala
BehanVox: Inside Tamil Nadu’s Thozhi Working Women’s Hostels
This week in BehanVox: A photo story of natural farming practices of Bhil women, spaceflight packed with celebrity women, celluloid battle over ‘Phule’, and more
Postcards: From Care Inside Ladies Compartments to Himachal’s Hot Springs
This month in Postcards: A home-cooked meal during field reporting, the joy of public baths, cat companions, freedom found in cycles and scooters, and more
Farming Against Time: For Bhil Women, Natural Farming Comes at a Cost
The Bhil tribal hamlets in Peepla village in Rajsamand’s Kumbhalgarh tehsil are marked by their elevation. The higher the house, the lower the income. The Aravallis […]
Comfort, Control, Career: A Peek Into Tamil Nadu’s Thozhi Working Women’s Hostels
In Tamil Nadu, migrant working women struggle to find safe and affordable accommodation in cities. The state-run Thozhi hostel chain offers an alternative but there just are not enough of them
BehanVox: A Liquor Law That Criminalizes NT-DNT Women
This week in BehanVox: ASHA workers’ protest an attendance app, Allahabad High Court’s sustained misogyny, and histories of India’s women jazz pioneers
Madhya Pradesh’s Liquor Law Is Particularly Harsh On NT-DNT Women
Mahua liquor is a traditional brew for many tribal communities. While Madhya Pradesh encourages its production and sale by Scheduled Tribes, the crackdown against NT-DNT communities under the excise act is exceptionally harsh
Why A Photo-Backed Attendance App Is Distressing Maharashtra’s ASHA Workers
In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the municipal commissioner has introduced a mandatory digital attendance system through a private app. ASHA workers, who are not considered government employees, are also forced to mark attendance thrice a day
BehanVox: A Platform Company’s Quest to Reformat Servitude
This week in BehanVox: a conversation on Dalit History Month, UK’s decision to screen ‘Adolescence’ in schools, and stories of female construction workers struggling to access maternity schemes.
‘Gig Platforms Will Intensify the Disposability of Domestic Workers’
What does Urban Company’s ‘Insta Help’ service mean for India’s unique domestic labour market? We spoke to scholar Sai Amulya Komarraju for answers
Women Construction Workers Struggle To Access Maternity Schemes
Migrant female construction workers in Ahmedabad face immense challenges accessing maternity benefits and healthcare due to lack of documentation, poor living conditions, and exploitation by contractors
BehanVox: How Women Spend Their Time
Our weekly newsletter BehanVox brings you our top stories, gender news from the world, and our team’s reading recommendations. Hello, and welcome back to BehanVox. We […]
Postscript: The People and Process Behind the BehanBox Story
Our monthly newsletter with all things behind the scenes. Want to explore more newsletters? Our weekly digest BehanVox and monthly Postcard invite you, the reader, into […]
What Time Use Surveys Say And Don’t About Women’s Work
Last month, the government released a factsheet of the key findings from the Time Use Survey conducted in 2024. The survey, with crucial data on how women spend their days is also sensitive to errors
An ASHA Worker’s ‘Vardi’: Sarees As a Symbol of Both Solidarity and Suppression
Uniforms are a path to social identity and status, but they can become an imposition when detached from women’s social contexts and needs
BehanVox: When Women Find and Build Hope
This week in BehanVox: life on Powai’s footpaths, ASHA workers’ ongoing strike, and the politics of hope.
Postcards: From Sudhir Patwardhan’s Bombay to a Post-Revolution Cairo
This month in Postcards: a feminist march, cookbook for one, and women’s labour powering papal decision making.
Why Tamil Nadu Must Clarify Conflicting Signals About Reproductive Choices
Shortages of emergency contraceptive pills and the CM’s call for larger families – there is now a question mark over the state’s acclaimed reproductive health policies
Displaced, Jai Bhim Nagar’s Women Are Reclaiming Urban Spaces In Mumbai
Thrown out of their homes eight months ago in a demolition drive, the women of Jai Bhim Nagar are fighting for their right to housing. They are also reclaiming spaces to keep their cultural identity alive
Why Domestic Workers, In A Unique Labour Market, Need Their Own Labour Law
Since 1959, multiple bills have been introduced to provide legal protection for domestic workers, but all of them have failed. Lack of political will and conflict of interest erode the rights of the most marginalised women in India
How Systemic Injustice Is Driving Pardhi Women To Extreme Despair, Suicide
In Pardhi bastis, suicide is so common that it is normalised by the community. Constant encounters with institutional violence, bias and poverty leave women with little hope for a better future
Backbone Of Its Acclaimed Health Model, Why Kerala’s ASHA Workers Are On Protest
From containing viral outbreaks to collecting data for its various projects, ASHA workers are a critical part of Kerala’s lauded public health system. But the state does not value their work enough, say the health workers now on strike
Hopes Of Police Jobs Shattered, Maharashtra’s Trans women Return To Precarious Livelihoods
For five years now, Arya Pujari, a trans woman, has been relentlessly pursuing her dream of joining the police. Her struggle ties in with the transgender community’s demand for reservations in government jobs
How Natural Farming Is Helping Women Farmers Deal With Climate Realities
Climate disasters are wrecking crops and inflicting heavy losses on farmers. Natural farming methods – organic inputs, multi-cropping, and indigenous seeds – is helping Gujarat’s women farmers find a solution to this crisis
Why Women Refuse To Give Up The Battle To Save Vadhavan, Site Of India’s Largest Port
Despite 30 years of local resistance, the government has pushed through the approvals for India’s largest port. Behind it lie systemic efforts to dismantle special protection given to an eco-fragile area
How Policies On Natural Farming Favour Women With Land, Networks
Improved soil health is one of the key reasons for promoting natural farming. But women who do most of the work on farms, have limited control over land and are unable to invest successfully in it
Three Women Governed Delhi, With Varying Success, But Each Left An Imprint
Sheila Dikshit was voted back thrice to office; Sushma Swaraj and Atishi came in briefly in times of political turbulence. But each made a place in the capital’s political history with their individual strengths
Navigating Delhi: Why Safe and Inclusive Transport Matters
When Shruti first moved to Delhi from Kerala as a student, she was thrilled to find a bus system with a stop close to her accommodation. […]
What Monalisa’s Harassment Says About Violation Of NT-DNT Women’s Workspaces
The manner in which the young garland seller from the NT-DNT community was harassed and ultimately forced to flee the Kumbh Mela shows a disregard for their right to dignity, privacy and a safe workplace
Promises vs. Reality: Informal Workers’ Rights In Delhi Under AAP
In its election manifestos, the Aam Aadmi Party has always promised better wage and work conditions for the city’s informal workers. But the implementation of existing policies has been inadequate
Health, Environment, Crime: Where Does Delhi Stand?
Ahead of the polls for the Delhi legislative assembly, our data dive exposes how the capital city fares on key parameters
A Permanent Home, Promised Over 10 Years Ago, Remains A Dream For This Delhi Basti
The crises faced by Kathputli Colony’s families, displaced by an interminable redevelopment project, point to the capital city’s struggle to provide affordable housing
How Film, Literature And Art See The Lives of Delhi’s Informal Women Workers
In popular culture, Delhi often remains a cliche. You rarely see its informal women workers except as footnotes. We have compiled here a list of films, books and art works where their unseen lives are recorded with veracity and compassion
How Delhi’s Governance Is Hobbled By Bewildering Battles For Turf
Who do you hold accountable for Delhi’s governance? Is it the AAP-led state government, the BJP-led central government that commands the Delhi Police, Delhi Development Authority […]
Apna Vote Matters: What BehanBox Will Cover During Delhi Elections
Our Feminist Elections Newsroom brings the focus back to the people of Delhi – the migrants, contract workers, women who yearn for safety and countless others who build and breathe life into the city.
Science, Not ‘Cow Agenda’, Benefits Women Organic Farmers
The government’s push for natural farming is rooted in cow-centric policies. But creating a science-based information ecosystem is key to empowering women farmers
Gamechangers: The All-Women Gram Panchayats of Uttarakhand
Many villages in this Himalayan state have had their fortunes turned around by all-woman Gram Panchayats.
Why Indian Election Campaigns Will Talk About Menstruation But Not Marital Rape
Sexual and reproductive rights of women do feature in the election agenda of political parties but only those that do not defy established social norms
Despite Public Schemes,Vrindavan’s Widows Cannot Afford A Life Of Dignity
Pensions and access to healthcare schemes could have benefitted thousands of widows who settle in Vrindavan but isolation, apathy and red tape get in the way
‘Hope means healing day after day, a spirit that is broken and bruised’
We asked women who we report on and are inspired by to tell us what or who gives them hope, or what they would like to see change in 2025. These are their stories.
At BehanBox, Here Is What Stood Out to Us In 2024
Team BehanBox parses through the news and noise of 2024 to find tales of caution, care, and hope.
‘Nobody Is Speaking About The Appropriation Of Dalit Material In The Arts’
Vocalist and trainer Shilpa Mudbi talks about art, artist, and appropriation of Dalit music and culture
Global Feminist Movement Must Engage Critically With And Centre Caste
Dalit women’s leadership not just reshaped the feminist movement but drove powerful alliances. Why then do we still have to answer the question: ‘What is caste?’
Women In Informal Work Sector Are Left Disempowered By Lack Of Reproductive Rights
Most women interviewed for a study said they had little say in a range of issues from contraception to pre natal care
How Maharashtra Poll Analyses Are Missing The Rise Of Women’s Agency
Analyses of the assembly polls in Maharashtra miss the emergent political agency of women voters by stressing only on women-centric schemes like the Ladki Bahin Yojana
Why The Latest Supreme Court Verdict On Child Marriage Falls Short
Studies have shown that criminalisation of child marriage and the excessive use of force to prevent have not been effective solutions to the problem. Questions around poverty, education and the adolescent agency also need to be addressed
Maiya, Kalpana, and Mahila Mandals: How Women Shaped Jharkhand Assembly Elections
Women, especially from the Adivasi community, turned out to vote in record numbers and voted for the return of Hemant Soren’s JMM. We look at a slew of reasons that likely influenced their electoral participation and decision
Chandrika, And Many Like Her, Pay A Terrible Cost For Flexi Work On Gig Platforms
The recent death of a beauty worker with Urban Company has raised questions about the practices at aggregator platforms – the promise of flexibility and freedom comes bundled with exploitative and coercive work conditions
With Fewer Women MLAs, Gender Parity Takes A Hit In Maharashtra Assembly
Smaller states in India have a better record of women’s representation in their assembly. In Maharashtra, the gender skew is glaring – few contest, fewer win and those who do often have family backing
Right to Healthcare: What You Need To Know About Maharashtra’s Public Health Services
Maharashtra scores 23 out of 100, a disturbingly low score, in its public healthcare systems according to a recent report released by Jan Arogya Abhiyan—a coalition […]
A Feminist Election Newsroom
Our FEN is back. And here’s why we believe this matters to you as much as it does to us.
Steep Unemployment And Shortchanged Promises: What You Need To Know About Maharashtra’s Unemployment Crisis For Women
Maharashtra has an unemployment crisis. The overall rate of unemployment is 2.7, slightly higher than it was five years ago. For the state’s young rural women […]
Inflation, Unemployment, Women’s Rights: Maharashtra Assembly Says ‘Maybe Later!’
The 14th Maharashtra Assembly rammed through 1000 crucial resolutions in the last days but was visibly silent on crucial development issues
What They Say When She Speaks: Vile Nature of Gendered Hate Speech
On August 19, the Kerala government released a redacted version of the Hema Committee report which exposed the structural violence that exists in the Malayalam film […]
Ajit Pawar Goes Pink: Are Maharashtra’s Women Ready for a ‘Dada’ Makeover?
The leaders’s campaign is awash with pink in a bid to reach out to women voters and to position himself as their big brother and benefactor
How An Arts Campaign Seeks To Bring Gender Sensitivity To Healthcare
A creative initiative using literature and visual arts hopes to educate and sensitise medical students and practitioners about gender-affirmative care
Why Over-The-Counter Emergency Contraceptives Must Stay
A few days ago, news surfaced about the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) planning to recommend a ban on the over-the-counter sales of emergency contraceptive pills […]
Why ‘Obscenity’ Case Against Kolhapur Dancers Is Policing Women’s Bodies
Four dancers have been booked and 21 have been virtually banned over accusations of ‘obscenity’. Despite court rulings, obscenity laws continue to police women’s bodies
To Be A Woman In Haryana Politics
In poll-bound Haryana, women’s political identity has been historically shaped by patriarchal, kinship, and gender norms. But their role in the protest movements of the last few years is making a difference
Why Armed Forces Struggle To Provide Safe Workspaces For Women
Does the entrenched notion of masculine solidarity in the military create room for misogynistic behaviour? In view of a recent case, we look at how these attitudes impact the effective application of sexual harassment laws
More Women In India’s Labour Force Now But In Low-Paying Or Unpaid Work
The findings in the latest labour force survey indicate that the rising aspirations of educated rural women are not matched by opportunities in non-agricultural work
Aruna Roy’s Memoir, A Must-Read In Times of Shrinking Democratic Spaces
The boundaries of individual and collective blur in this account of her journey, as an individual, woman, and activist and the member of a unique collective
How Maharashtra’s Women Academics Are Resisting The Hate Narrative
In the face of rising right-wing hostility in western Maharashtra, women academics are pushing back, asserting their right to freedom of speech
Why Few Women Are Contesting J & K Polls, Despite Political Resurgence In The State
Political parties in the state are still reluctant to field women candidates because they do not believe in their winnability in a politically charged environment
