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.
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
‘Land Jihad’: How Hate Campaigns Turn Vicious In Western Maharashtra
Communal polarisation is gathering pace in the state, with right wing organisations resuming campaigns around what they call land jihad. Vishalgad and its Muslim residents are among the latest victims of this hate campaign
Why Instant And Populist Anti-Rape Laws Will Fail To Deliver Justice
Fueled by public demands for quick justice, and pushed through hastily with no effort at addressing systemic issues, these laws cannot bring real change, say experts
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Has Not Caused Any Significant Shifts: Report
Opacity surrounded the outcomes of the BJP-led NDA government’s flagship scheme for girl children. Data on sex ratio and education do not show significant changes
What Parental Support Means For A 17-year-old Trans Girl In Assam
A trans girl in Guwahati battled hostility and harassment in her early school years but found strength in her parents’ unwavering support, love and care. Recently expelled from school for posting a bikini photo, her parents are pushing back
How India’s Employee State Insurance Scheme Lets Down Low-Wage Women Workers
Long distances to medical facilities, shortage of women doctors and frustrating bureaucratic hurdles discourage women workers in the garment sector from accessing the Employees’ State Insurance Scheme
It Took A Women’s Collective To Fix The Gender Skew In Malayalam Cinema
For decades, women film workers in the Kerala film industry have been dealing with exploitative work conditions, inequalities and sexual harassment. What shook up the complacent club run by powerful men is a band of tenacious women
Transgender women Are Being Excluded From Maharashtra’s Cash Scheme For Women
With no clarity on trans women beneficiaries, and the many hurdles to establishing gender identity, the Ladki Bahin scheme is becoming exclusionary
Why A Roomful Of Bright Young Chennai Women Refused To Discuss Harassment
Tamil Nadu boasts fantastic gender indicators but some subjects still remain a taboo, which shows that deep-set social attitudes take longer to change
What Afreen’s Story Says About Poor Healthcare Funding In India
Two of Delhi’s biggest government hospitals are right in Afreen’s backyard. But her struggle to access healthcare for her husband when he had a stroke underlines why the government needs to spend more on health
Why The Kolkata Hospital Crime Could Be The Story Of Any Healthcare Worker
Women doctors, nurses, paramedics and administrative staff who work late shifts have always been vulnerable to violence because little thought is given to ensuring safe work spaces for them
Monsoon Misery: Why Umbrellas, Rain Footwear Are A Luxury For Working Class Women
A polythene bag clasped over their head is all the protection many domestic workers and women vendors have against heavy coastal monsoons
When Women Have Cancer: Navigating Families, Society and Medicine
When women are diagnosed with cancer, a common concern is this — how will they cope with the needs of both care and caregiving? They also have to face the possibility of neglect and abandonment
Why Justice Remains Elusive For Adivasi Victims Of Sexual Violence
In 2017, a 15-year-old Adivasi student in Odisha’s Cuttack district was raped by a group of men wearing police uniforms as she was returning from the […]
Despite Law, Caste Panchayats Still Run Kangaroo Courts In Maharashtra
Jaat panchayats that routinely impose brutal and humiliating punishments on women for defying caste norms should have been a thing of the past. But they continue to operate with impunity, say activists
‘Committed To Janata, Not Sarkar’: Protesting Anganwadi Workers In Maharashtra
With the state indifferent to their demands for better wages and their workload heavier by one more scheme, Anganwadi workers in Maharashtra are protesting again. But their resistance tactics have changed
Exploitative Wages, Backbreaking Work: The Home Workers Behind Jalandhar’s Mega Sports Goods Industry
Rs 4 to feather a dozen shuttlecocks, Rs 35 to stitch a football, Rs 62 to tack together six panels of a rugby ball – that is what home-based women workers are paid to keep the booming sports good industry of the city in business.
More Women, Adivasis, Dalits and Muslims Died During COVID-19 First Wave
Unlike the rest of the world, women’s life expectancy fell by more years than men’s and that of marginalised communities fell more sharply in the first year of the pandemic. This skew, say, researchers can be traced to social inequalities
A Frog In A Well Seeing the Himalaya
What was it like for an Indian woman in the early 20th century to travel for pleasure? In this essay excerpted from Zubaan’s new book, Three Centuries of Travel Writing by Muslim Women, early Bengali feminist Begum Rokeya offers insights
How Fertility Preferences Are Killing Women In India
Pregnancy can exacerbate pre existing health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune conditions and cancer. But even women in vulnerable health are often pressured to conceive, especially if they have yet to deliver a son
Blockades Are Putting Lives Of Women, Children At Risk In Manipur’s Relief Camps
The blockades mounted by community vigilantes in Manipur make it hard for critical relief material, especially medicines, to reach relief camps. It is the women and the children who suffer the most
In Koraput’s Villages, Women Are Charting A Map For Sustainable Living
Forests, water-bodies, flowers, tubers and bears have disappeared from the biodiversity rich villages of Koraput because of climate change. The women are trying to draft a map to understand the loss and plan ahead for conservation
How This Young Dalit Union Leader Found Her Place In The Union
Gender based violence, caste discrimination and forced labour practices are rife in Indian garment factories. In Tamil Nadu, Theivanai Maruthai, a young Dalit woman trade union leader is trying to change this
Lack of Knowledge, Agency & Finances: Why Women With Cancer Suffer More
This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center When I first met Amrita Singh at Gadge Maharaj Dharamshala, a subsidised hostel for cancer patients close to the […]
Caring and Fierce, Jailed Adivasi Activist Suneeta Pottam Fights Injustice Everyday In Bastar
She is an Adivasi leader, an activist, a farmer, a migrant labourer and an eager student. But the only descriptor the police have for her is ‘Maoist’
Rape Survivors From Nomadic Tribes Get No State Support, Compensation Or Counselling
Stigmatised and doubted when they report sexual violence, women from NT DNT communities are never informed about the resources the state provides to rape survivors
A Dream Deferred: How The NEET PG Crisis Has Hurt Women Aspirants
A doctor and a once-NEET aspirant provides an insider perspective on what the ongoing exam crisis means for the healthcare system and especially for women aspirants who have to constantly deal with the pressure to start family life
With Or Without Papers, Indian Beauty Workers Find Work, Freedom In Paris
Indian beauticians occupy a cultural niche in the beauty salons of Paris. This provides vulnerable migrant women an entry into a labour market that is otherwise inhospitable to them
Ignorance and Apathy: Why One Indian Woman Dies of Cervical Cancer Every 7 mins
This story is supported by the Pulitzer CenterThe flow of patients is incessant at the outpatient departments of the Gujarat Cancer Research Institute (GCRI). The tertiary […]
Sleepless On Delhi’s Streets: Homeless Women Are Battling A Brutal Heat Wave
Extreme heat during the days and the fear of harassment at night – homeless women face a relentless battle for survival and sleep
Name Off Rolls, These Women Were Disenfranchised In A Crucial Election
Elderly women who fear this will be their last vote, women from minority communities keen to back democratic norms – missing from the electoral list these women feel deprived of their right to vote in what was a historic election
In TN’s Garment Factories, Heat Stress Is Leaving Women Workers Sick, Fatigued
The delivery deadlines of fashion brands and suppliers make no allowance for women who are forced to work in peak summer with poor access to water, sanitation and healthcare
‘A Trip To The Doctor Means Loss Of Wages, I Can’t Afford That’
A single mother of two, this e-rickshaw driver in Tinsukia says life is a daily struggle to balance earnings and expense
No Income, Unpayable Debts: The Truth Behind PM Modi’s ‘Lakhpati Didis’
The catchy title apart, the Lakhpati Didi initiative has not really been able to increase income generation among beneficiaries
Why Few Informal Workers Know Of A Portal, Meant To Ease Their Access To Welfare Schemes
An offline registration process and better outreach could help, say labour rights activists
Why Not Enough Women Are Benefitting From Odisha’s Rural Employment Boost
Odisha’s scheme to increase workdays under MGNREGA has run into systemic challenges, resulting in poor uptake, especially of women workers
Why Haryana’s Young Women Hope Against Hope For A Government Job
The only way to fob off matrimony and find independence is to ensure that you land a government job, say young women at a Rohtak campus
Why A Workers’ Rights Activist Has Jumped Into The Electoral Fray
Aditi, a member of the Revolutionary Workers’ Party of India, has contested elections multiple times at both local and national levels but has never won. She says that winning was never the point
‘Our Financial Situation Is So Bad That Our Relatives Have Stopped Visiting’
Carrying the burden of an eight-year-old debt, 50-year-old Karuna Kale from Madhya Pradesh’s Barwaha almost broke down while talking about the financial condition of her household
In Maharashtra, Women Activists Of Anti-BJP Front Join Hands ‘For Democracy’
Women activists from all the parties that allied to forge the Maha Vikas Aghadi are campaigning with a never-before show of solidarity
Govt Teaching Jobs: Contractualisation Is Stifling Women’s Aspirations
Job insecurity, random transfers, non-payment of wages, and lack of benefits are hurting contractual teachers, of whom 55% are women
‘Inflation Does Not Allow Us To Be Vulnerable, We Just Work Non-Stop’
The small business run by the Paswan family survives through relentless work. Even after 30 years of this, the only way to make ends meet and save some money is by limiting expenses to necessities
Women’s Collectives Are Pitching Their Own Manifestos To Parties, Candidates
From women belonging to nomadic tribes to cane-cutters, small social and workers’ groups are presenting their charter of demands to politicians and parties contesting the ongoing elections
In Poll Season, Why Women’s Care Labour Needs To Be Debated
When politicians promise to pay for care work they are putting a value on unpaid labour but they also end up reinforcing social norms about ‘women’s work’
‘Inflation Does Not Allow Us To Even Aspire For A Better Life’
A cinema outing, books, dreams of personal space – every joy, big and small, has to be put off, says a young social activist, in the face of inflation
Diversion Of Forests Hits Adivasi Women The Hardest. Here Is Why
In 15 of the 86 constituencies where the general elections will be held tomorrow, more than 30% of voters are impacted by the Forest Rights Act. We look at how the loss of forests impacts the lives and livelihoods of Adivasi women
How Jal Jeevan Mission Left Women In Maharashtra’s Hill Districts High And Dry
The taps and pipelines meant to carry water to the homes of hill-dwelling communities of the state have either not been installed or have no water supply. Women trudge miles and undertake risks to collect water
Those Killed Include Innocents, Say Adivasis Of Recent Anti-Naxal Operation In Bastar
A fortnight before polling in Bastar, security forces killed 13 persons in what it called the biggest anti-Naxal operation since 2017. But at least two of those were Adivasi villagers, one of them a young deaf girl
‘My Income Hasn’t Changed In Ten Years, And We Have No Savings’: An ASHA Worker’s Story
Whether it is putting off an urgent surgery or making do with 250 gm of fish for her family of four once a month, Lakhya Hira Phukon, like most other poorly-paid ASHA workers, has to balance her domestic budget with extreme care
Why Surveillance Measures Will Not Ensure Women’s Safety
The numbers do not tell the complete story of violence against women and this means that the measures based on existing evidence are inadequate too
‘Our Farms Are Failing, We Live On Loans From Here, There, Everywhere’
We speak to a farmer family whose roots lie in rural Andhra, but have also spread to the cities – there is simply never enough money to get by
Has Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’s Media Advocacy Focus Achieved The Desired Outcomes?
The improvements in parameters related to the girl child cannot be solely attributed to the scheme’s implementation
How Caste Smells: Notes From A South Asian Beauty Salon In London
In a London beauty salon run by women from the subcontinent, links between caste, food and odour echo the arguments in the debate in India over a ‘pure vegetarian’ delivery fleet
Rural Jobs Scheme Has Yet To Benefit The Most Marginalised Women Of Maharashtra
Our investigation across eight villages showed just one project available under MGNREGS, forcing women to migrate as far as Odisha in search of work
How Gender, Mobility, and Disability Barriers Prevent Many From Voting In India
At least 986 million Indians should be voting this year. But it is likely the final numbers will be many millions less. We explain why
How Young Women In India Are Carving Space For Themselves In Politics
They don’t helicopter into villages and vamoose. We speak to young women who are political newcomers on how they ensure constant interaction with people
In Govt’s Maternal Health Scheme, Big Gap Between Intent And Reality
Initiatives to make the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana more effective has not quite worked out the way it should, we find
Justice And Normalcy Are Far Dreams For Us, Say Hate Crimes Survivors
These are stories of women whose lives and livelihoods remain ruptured months after they faced sectarian violence
How Evictions And Resettlement Upend Women’s Working Lives
In Delhi, evictions get you resettlement housing but in areas with little access to job, services or essential facilities. And it is the women who struggle the most with travel and livelihood options
Why Repealing Assam Muslim Marriage Act May Do Little To Empower Women
It will not curb child marriage but may complicate registrations, say experts
‘Sandeshkhali Shows That Women Are Not Passive Beneficiaries of Welfare Schemes’
The fact that they are resisting exploitation ruptures the popular political image of marginalised women, says political scientist Proma Raychaudhury
Despite Laws, Guidelines, Queerphobia Remains Unchecked In Campuses
Students have reported frequent incidents of queerphobia and misogyny in universities. We look at why redressal mechanisms remain ineffective
Cost Of Maternal Healthcare Is Pushing Families Into Debt Trap In Maharashtra
Few women in impoverished packets of rural Maharashtra are aware of government welfare schemes or do not have the documents to access them
In A Forest Amidst Mumbai’s Concrete Jungle, Adivasi Women Are Demanding Their Right To Shelter And Dignity
An ambitious road project is likely to swallow many Adivasi homes in Aarey forest, already the site of many other development projects
‘With UCC, The State Has Become A Father Figure That Sanctions Who We Love’
In a wide-ranging interview on the controversial Uniform Civil Code swiftly pushed through by the Uttarakhand government, feminist legal scholar Surbhi Karwa explains how the law has weaponised the language of women’s rights without actually advancing them
Why This Year’s Interim Gender Budget Is Riddled with Ambiguity
The lack of clarity on exclusion of schemes in previous years, arbitrary increases in scheme allocations, and mismatch in scheme performance and corresponding allocations are concerns
Budget 2024: Empty Declarations, Insufficient Allocations For Key Schemes
Schemes aimed at women did not get the big push they needed, we find
Bribes, Bullying, Sexual Harassment: Why Workers In A Delhi Hospital Want An End To Outsourced Hiring
Striking sanitation workers in Delhi’s Burari Hospital have accused private hiring companies of corrupt practices and sexual harassment
As Ram Mandir Euphoria Peaks, I, A Young Muslim Woman, Am Filled With Dread
In the public discourse around the Mandir, the Muslim voice has been absent. Here is why the community has chosen numbness over articulation
Why A Dalit Woman Is Demanding A Cremation Ground For Dalits In Her Village
In rural Maharashtra, landless Dalit families often struggle to find space to cremate their dead. Pramila Zombade wants that to change
Assam’s Family Size Norm For New Initiative Could Hit Its Marginalised Women Most
Linking economic welfare schemes for women to their family size will further limit women’s participation in work and increase their vulnerabilities, argue experts
How ASHA Workers’ Overwhelming Workload Impacts India’s Healthcare System
The relentless cycle of field and paperwork is affecting their mental health, leaving them prone to errors
What Justice for Bilkis Bano Means For Feminist Solidarity
Feminist solidarities come in all forms — legal petitions, street protests, Whatsapp conversations, vigils and signature campaigns – as the Bilkis case shows
Why Maharashtra’s Anganwadi Workers Stir Is Spiralling Into A Livelihood Crisis
Faced with termination and loss of salary, striking Anganwadi workers in the state are living in fear and anxiety
Why Adivasis Of Hasdeo Aranya Are Back On The Streets, Again
Protests to protect one of India’s largest forested corridors has been ongoing for over the past one decade
For Young Women, Savitribai Phule’s Legacy Of Rebellion Is Empowering
The bright red slash of kumkum across her forehead has become a mark of feminist solidarity
Their Roles Ambiguous, ASHA Workers Fight For The Right To Contest Elections
There is state pressure to dissuade frontline health workers from fighting for political office even though they are still hired as ‘honorary volunteers’
Back When Wrestling Was Macho, This Delhi Akhada Began Training Women
Now 40% of the trainees at the Guru Premnath Akhada are women dreaming of making it to the Olympics, mostly from small-town India
When Women Became The Main Spectacle In Manipur’s Civil Conflict
Sangi Duhlian is constantly browsing her phone for updates on the Gaza war on social media. She is anxious and triggered by the war in the […]
Who Is Responsible For Safety Of Domestic Workers At Workplaces?
India has approximately 5.2 million domestic workers according to government data. However, the National Domestic Workers’ Movement (NDWM) estimates the total number in India from anywhere […]
