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Articles by Rupsa Nag
“Stop Disregarding Period Pain As ‘Normal’, It Is Not!”
Representational image only. Image by Rupsa Nag. I had normalized cramps for the longest time. My mother told me all about periods. However, having no experience of cramps, when I complained about my pain, she told me it will happen anyway and I should distract myself. Every time it pained, I would pinch my big toe until it turned red hoping it was a distraction good enough to make me forget the pain (of course that never happened).
I Learned What Being Gay Means In Class 9, And It Is A Lesson In Solidarity
I’ve had crushes on boys ever since I joined the school. Athletic ones, nerds, the jocks, you say it, I have fallen for that type of boy, at least once. It was not ‘true love’ of course, more like an obsession. I’d always wondered, ever since I was a child, “what would it be like if I married a girl one day?” In grade 3, I was disgusted by the thought and promised myself never to think the same again.
How Will Change Happen If We Continue To Blame The Victim And Not The Predator?
Trigger Warning: Sexual Harassment A 17-year-old boy, Divesh Goyal, of Don Bosco Park Circus, Kolkata has been walking around with a placard in Girish Park and Vivekananda Road crossing in shorts that says “I wasn’t touched or followed shorts aren’t the problem” and uses the hashtag #WhatIfItsYourBrother. He was accompanied by one of his friends, well because he was scared that anything can piss off Indian public but luckily, people were understanding.
Who Are Intersex Persons? Healthcare For LGBTQI In Lockdown
On Friday, June 19, I attended a webinar ‘Intersex Voices’ organised by IHRI, SAATHII, Solidarity Foundation and Nirangal. I am grateful to Dr Shruthi Chakravarthi for letting me know about it. I thank Pushpa Achanta from Solidarity Foundation for helping me connect with Maya, and Maya herself for being the most graceful person to talk to. Shakti Sri Maya is an intersex activist from Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh. She is the co-founder of Intersex Human Rights India.
Who Are Intersex Persons? Healthcare For LGBTQI In Lockdown
On June 19, I attended a webinar ‘Intersex Voices’, organised by Intersex Human Rights India (IHRI), SAATHII, Solidarity Foundation, and Nirangal. I am grateful to Dr Shruthi Chakravarthi for letting me know about it. I thank Pushpa Achanta from Solidarity Foundation for helping me connect with Gangabhavani M. Finally, I thank Gangabhavani M. and Anjali for being such lovely persons to talk to. Image provided by the author.
How Can We Make Workplaces Truly Inclusive?
By Rajkanya Mahapatra In the post-Industrial society, formal workplaces around the world were established and managed by men for decades before political developments mandated for women and other marginalised groups to be included in the workforce. With time, workplaces have grown to accommodate people of different identities and backgrounds.
“Shocking To Realise The Stage Hindu Fundamentalism Has Reached”: Kavitha Lankesh
Gauri Lankesh was murdered by three gunmen outside her residence in Bengaluru on September 5, 2017, after she had returned home from work. She was the editor of the Kannada weekly ‘Lankesh Patrike’. Over a year after the eminent journalist’s death, Titas Biswas interviewed Gauri Lankesh’s sister Kavitha Lankesh who talks about life after her sister’s death, the looming threat of Hindu fundamentalism, and the Prime Minister’s stoic silence over the issue.
In A First, Orissa High Court Allows Live-In Relationship With Same Sex Partner
Orissa High court ordered a 24-year-old girl to live with her same-sex partner after the latter was forcibly separated from him. A petition of Habeas corpus was filed by Chinmayee Jena in the court when her partner was forcibly kept in the custody of her mother and uncle at Bari in Jaipur district. Initially, the complaint was filed in the police station. But, the couple didn’t get a good response after which they decided to approach the High Court.
Environment-Friendly Menstrual Products? Sign Me Up!
Access to menstrual products is a problem which keeps cropping up in India. A survey on menstrual hygiene management revealed that as many as 71% of the respondents use sanitary napkins during their periods. However, a sanitary pad may not be the most sustainable product to use. Most of them are made up of plastic and are non-biodegradable. Several studies have even shown that it can take around 500-800 years for a sanitary pad to decompose fully.
Kolkata Will Have Seat Reservations For Transgenders In Private Buses
Transgender of Kolkata will now have their reserved seat on a private bus and the mastermind behind this initiative is Sovan Mukherjee aka Padman of Kolkata. Sovan previously installed Bandhan sanitary napkin vending machine in various public toilets of Kolkata The initiative was launched on Sunday.
#PledgeAPeriod: Meet Azmati, Hailing From a Mumbai Slum, Who Now Spreads Period Awareness
Menstruation is a normal and a healthy part of life and yet girls and women in India go through extreme struggles to manage their periods every month. A large chunk of the Indian population believes this natural cycle to be a ‘curse’, ‘impure’ or ‘dirty’ due to lack of awareness and education, religious stigmas and the prevailing taboo surrounding “period talk”. All of these factors lead to a vicious cycle of unhealthy practices.
The Indian Army’s Skewed Understanding Of Gender Equality
Two things unrelated to each other happening right now have a strange yet compelling connection. One is the Indian army’s call for women officers seeking a permanent commission to start sending their applications. Another one is the promotion works of the movie, Gunjan Saxena. If you have ever wondered why this much-celebrated Kargil girl is still not serving the IAF unlike many Kargil heroes in their uniforms. The answer lies in the first event mentioned.
Watch: Easy Ways To Manage Your Anxiety During A Crisis
With the ongoing pandemic, lockdown, and subsequent unlock, it’s understandable to feel anxious during this uncertain time. This video explains how anxiety affects you during a crisis and offers some strategies for you to try to keep your anxiety at bay. VIDEO
If Only We Were Taught To Question, To Trust Our Instincts
My therapist once posited that I had instincts telling me that a particular situation, a particular person made me uncomfortable when they were first introduced to me before it went on to become more noticeably a shitshow. I don’t know if I believe that. Hindsight is so much clearer than when you’re actually in the thick of things. I imagine it’s easier to take a mental trip through time and find signs that things were going to get worse and we sort of knew it.
My Grandmother, Mother And I Answer These 11 Period Questions
I spoke to three generations of women—my grandmother, mother, and me; to understand how menstruation and ideas around it have changed or not, across time. Hena Basu, dida, was born on 31 August 1935. She had nine siblings and her father was a doctor at the Cellular Jail in Malda. She is 85 now. Her marriage was arranged with my late grandfather when she was 18 and she went from Kolkata, West Bengal to Raipur, Chhattisgarh. A mother to 5 daughters. Sheeooli Nag, ma, was born on 26 December 1965.
“The Problem With Us Indians Is That We Get Overexcited And Are Too Proud”
With so much fanfare, wall-to-wall coverage, images and live feeds of take-off from Mérignac to mid-year refuelling to take a pit stop in Al Dhafra to finally landing in Ambala. After this unprecedented showcasing of a ferry flight, the Rafales are finally here. Five. Game-Changers. Whether these fighter planes are ‘game-changers’ or not, only time will tell, but what does it say about us, as a nation.
Dear Cis Het Men, Your Idea Of ‘Normal’ Could Be Violent For The Rest
‘I recognize gender to be deeply violent, but that does not stop me from organizing on grounds of gender. That which is intrinsically violent can also become the condition of new possibilities of resistance of re-imagining the world.’ – Vikram Aditya Sahai Design by Rupsa Nag Female, LGBTIAQ+, and lower caste bodies have always been a site of interrogation for institutions that decide what is normal. I went through a phase of wanting to shave badly when Veet ads used to punctuate every TV show.
Shouldn’t Our Offices Adjust To The Needs Of Menstruators?
Image for representational purposes only. For almost 80% of women, menstruation is a tumultuous journey. Mood swings, depression, anxiety, bloating, period cramps or dysmenorrhea in the form of back pain, abdominal pain, pelvic pain and sometimes even overall body ache are some of the psycho-physiological muddles through which a woman is subjected to every month.
These 7 Women Are At The Forefront Of India’s Fight For Period Positivity
Talking about menstrual health can be difficult, but some women have been fighting against menstrual stigma for a long time. They have succeeded in shaping a positive narrative in several parts of India. There is a long way to go before India becomes entirely period positive, with these women working tirelessly, it’s possible to bring about a change. 1.
A Bloody Good Pleasure: Period Sex Isn’t The Mess You Think It Is
Caution: Period sex is not natural contraception as one can still get pregnant. Protected sex is a must! In an infamous scene from the book Fifty Shades of Grey, Christian Grey removes Anastasia Steele’s tampon, and they have period sex. But Grey being a deluxe Kabir Singh in matters of consent, of course, it turned into fetishization. It’s not a usual scene since period sex is contentious. A friend of mine, Nayanika, recalls reading it while in high school.
Periods And Cancer: How A Missed Period Could Possibly Save Your Life
Dr Alison Farmer was forty years old when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Her symptoms? A bit of mid cyclic bleeding. Her general practitioner told her that it was a common thing and she had nothing to worry about but her medical background made her believe otherwise. She visited a gynaecologist who asked her to do an ultrasound which revealed a 5 cm mass. With surgery and chemotherapy, Alison was able to beat cancer in six months.
#DUBleeds: The Grim Situation Of The Exclusionary Delhi University Washrooms
Imagine reaching college after a tedious metro ride followed by a short yet uncomfortable journey on a bouncy rickshaw that left your stomach-churning. After this daily battle, all you want now is to go to the washroom, run a comb through your messy hair and freshen yourself before another battle begins.
“The amount of dirt I have to see; I skip my meals on most days.”
The Adi Ganga running down South Kolkata’s Tollygunge area, an essential water channel, has now turned into a toxic sewer due to untreated waste discharge. The air around it is unbreathable. People pinch their noses tight when crossing it. I have witnessed this since childhood, and nothing has changed. Solid waste management is a huge issue India grapples with.
This Student-Led NGO Bridges The Knowledge In Sexual Health You Wish You Were Taught
In a time where sex and topics related to sexual health are still considered taboo and frowned upon, Pratisandhi Foundation, a student-run non-profit organisation, is working towards sexual health and education. We wish to create a difference through means of educating the youth in a manner by which they can become self-aware and empowered individuals who can make informed decisions.
Vaginal Hues: Know What Different Coloured Discharges Mean
Discharge is the vagina’s way to cleanse and lubricate. While changing shades and texture throughout the menstrual cycle are normal, specific colours can help in giving useful observing your health. Regular vaginal discharge is called leucorrhoea. It comprises of fluid and bacterial discharge from the vagina, and most people produce less than 4 ml of white/clear discharge daily. Normal discharge is clear, white or pale-yellow and sticky.
A Beginner’s Guide To Understanding Toxic Shock Syndrome
Toxic Shock Syndrome is one of the first scary associations people make with tampons. But there is no reason to panic. It is not only caused due to tampons neither does it solely affect menstruators but is a condition that might affect anyone. A large number of such cases are non-menstrual, which are due to skin injuries, surgical incisions, nasal packings, burns. Yes, it is fatal.
10 Things You Can’t Ignore When Talking About Period Positivity
Being period positive (a campaign started by Chella Quint) is to destigmatise menstruation to engage in a positive dialogue around it. At no point should your period positivity be such that it forcefully sugarcoat the difficulties it comes with. It should only be spoken about such that no experience is glossed over because, for many, menstruation is a traumatic experience for various reasons.
Beyond Blood: Understanding What A Menstrual Cycle Is
Menstruation or period, and the menstrual cycle are different from each other. The menstrual cycle refers to the monthly journey from one period to the other. It consists of overlapping ovarian and uterine cycles. A menstrual cycle begins on the first day of your period and ends with the next one. So menstruation is, in fact, only the first phase of the complete menstrual cycle.
Why Men Need To Grow Up When It Comes To Periods
I still remember the day I got my first period. I was 11 (I was an early bloomer), my mom and I were visiting my dad in Delhi during the Durga Puja vacation. Like so many young girls of my generation, I had been unaware of the idea of menstruation and of what women go through every month throughout the prime or their youth, and well into middle age.
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